President’s Message 2 Historical Heritage 19 3 U of R 4 19th Ward Luminary Evening 6 Trafalgar Fire Fundraiser

Update 6 Letter from Mayor Duffy 7 Sunday with Santa 8 Delegate Council Minutes 9 Calendar of Events 11

2009 Officers President: J.B. Afoh-Manin afreeka1@hotmail.com

1st Vice President: Sharon Conheady the19thWard@yahoo.com 2nd Vice President: Bettie Lindley bettie@rochester.rr.com

Treasurer: Angie Burch angie_2266@yahoo.com Secretary: Cele Jackson celej@rochester.rr.com

Past President: Barbara Sullivan wsulliv3@rochester.rr.com

A publication of the 19th Ward Community Association • 216 Thurston Road, Rochester NY 14619 • 19thward@19wca.org

Update 19 is published at least ten times per year from September through June for members of The 19th Ward Community Association at 216 Thurston Road, Rochester NY 14619. To become a member, contact the Association at 585.328.6571, Monday through Friday 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. or email 19thward@19wca.org Managing Editor: John Burch

December 2009

Convention 2009

New Officers Elected At the Annual Convention held on November 21, 2009 at the

Staybridge Suites hotel, officers were elected for 2010.

Congratulations to the new officers and best wishes for a wonderful and productive year.

President J. B. Afoh-Manin

1st Vice President Sharon Conheady

2nd Vice President Bettie Lindley

Treasurer Angie Burch

Thanks to the S.W.A.N. band for providing music during the social hour and for all the many volunteers who brought scrumptious snacks and desserts. Thank you also to the auc-tion donors, who provided a different kind of buffet. Finally, thank you Staybridge Suites for the special group rates, al-lowing some to have a relaxing mini-vacation! See the President’s Message beginning on Pg. 2 for details.

22nd Candlelight Dinners Join us for this

enjoyable winter

event by either

hosting a dinner

or by attending as

guest. This is a pot

luck event, so pull

out your favorite

recipes. The host

will coordinate

the dinner and

notify guests of

time and what to bring. The guest will attend,

meet new neighbors and enjoy a social evening in

the 19th Ward. If you have a new neighbor be sure

to pass on the invitation. Call the Association office

at 328-6571. Leave a message if you are hosting or

guesting and how many adult guests you can fit

around your table or how many adult guests will

attend from your household. Cut off date is Febru-

ary 7.

If you would like to coordinate a special dinner--

families with children, special dietary needs, etc.,

please notify the office. We have been unable to

do this in the past but would certainly do so if we

have a volunteer. And, if you would like to volun-

teer as chairperson of the annual dinners, please

call Adrienne Kllc, 328-6531; you will get on-the-

job training!

Inside

2

MMMM essage from the President I first want to sincerely thank Cele Jack-

son for her outstanding service to the 19th

Ward

Community Association as recording secretary! I

pray for the health and welfare of her entire fam-

ily during these challenging times.

The following are excerpts from presi-

dent Afoh-Manin’s address to the 19th

Ward An-

nual Convention:

Greetings fellow 19th Warders!

I pray that all is well with you and your

families! On behalf of the entire 19th Ward I sin-

cerely welcome you to the annual 19th ward

convention.

My wife and I just returned from a very

refreshing trip to Ghana, West Africa last week.

In Ghana there is an ethnic group called the

Akans. The Akans have a set of symbols called

Adinkra. Of those symbols one of my favorite is

the one called Sankofa. Sankofa is symbolized by

a bird with its body facing forward with its neck

turned in the opposite direction looking back-

wards. The proverb which underlines Sankofa

states that “one must return to the past in order

to move forward.” Or simply put, “return and get

it.” That is what I believe to be necessary within

the 19th

Ward. With our feet firmly grounded

moving forward we must never forget the past or

how we got to be where we are! We are moving

fast into a bright future but we must never forget

those, or the lessons of those, who have been the

trailblazers of this wonderful organization. It is in

this vein that I want to continue leading the 19th

Ward. I truly understand and respect institutional

memory and never want to forget the fact, as the

proverb states, that although “I can run faster by

myself, we can (always) run further together!”

A perfect example of this togetherness

is the fundraiser we held on November 20th to

help our neighbors and friends that were burned

out of their homes. After attending the 19th

Ward

sponsored event for Mrs. O’Neal and her family

and Kuo Reese and Lisa Downy at St. Stephens’s

church last night, I was moved to completely

redraft the beginning of my words. I was almost

moved to tears to see the complete selflessness

which was on display. When my wife and I were

looking for a place to live a few years ago, it was

THIS sense of community that we were seeking.

There’s another proverb which states that “water

seeks its own level” Well, the water table in the

19th

Ward must be boiling over! This is truly a

community which not only talks the talk, but

walks the walk and this is why I love it here!!!

While reflecting on the events of the

fundraiser last night the sole word I could think to

summarize my feelings was the Zulu word Ub-

untu: Ubuntu…. Otherwise known as “I see U.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu explains Ubuntu as

follows:

One of the sayings in our country (South Africa) is

Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu

speaks particularly about the fact that you can't

exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks

about our interconnectedness. You can't be hu-

man all by yourself, and when you have this qual-

ity - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too fre-

quently as just individuals, separated from one

another, whereas you are connected and what

you do affects the whole world. When you do

well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of human-

ity.” Please give yourself a hand for the display of

Ubuntu which we showed last night!!!

Intro

As president of the association it is my

responsibility to give the state of the Ward ad-

dress. Well, as I stated from my first day on the

job, I promised you that I would be transparent

and that is what I intend to do in this speech. I

feel that with every morsel of our body that We

must strive to get better on a daily basis. Any-

thing not growing is dead! And thus, although I

feel that the state of the ward is on solid ground, I

don’t feel that we are reaching our full potential.

This is not to say that there are not great and

awesome things happening in the Ward, because

there most certainly are!!! For example: we had

the school with the highest standardized test

scores in the district last year, and we are per-

petually ranked as one of the best, for value,

neighborhoods in the city.

However, my goal is not just to lead an

ordinary organization, rather my goal is run a

spectacular organization and I see no reason why

we can’t achieve greatness! It is in this vein that

I’ll speak to some of our challenges and victories

this past year.

Budget

The 19th

ward is not recession Proof!

Our bottom line was and still is affected by the

worst economic collapse since 1929. And you will

here details of this in our committee reports. But

as many of you know, I am not a man who makes

excuses. If there is a problem, we must fix it, no

bones about it! But having a problem does not

have to be the end of the situation. As Stanford

economist Paul Romer coined, "A crisis is a terri-

ble thing to waste." Because with the right lead-

ership team in place, a crisis can turn into a grand

opportunity. I believe we have that team in

place!

In order to close the budget gap we

must work with “collective work and responsibil-

ity.” In order to climb out of this financial abyss

we all must dig a little deeper, think a litter

harder, and prey a little longer. But I have no

doubt that we will be able to respond to the chal-

lenge which confronts us! What are some of my

suggestions and where do we go from here? Well,

that process has already begun. One of my goals

is to recruit more organizations into the associa-

tion. For example, we have brand new member-

ships from Rural Metro and the Seventh Day Ad-

ventist Church and look forward to having a new

membership from SEIU, just to name a few. I have

been and will continue to recruit more organiza-

tions, churches, and businesses, etc. to join our

ranks. As well, I have charged our membership

committee to analyze our challenges, work dili-

gently to raise the bar and push the envelope for

further ways to recruit membership.

In order for the association to expand

and grow we need to till new soil while at the

same time fertilize our membership base that

may have overlooked their membership dues. In

the final analysis, we, as an association must not

rest on our laurels but work as if our life de-

pended on it, because having a strong and rele-

vant association can and will determine the future

of our growth.

Safety

The conditions under which many of us

live in the 19th

Ward are completely unaccept-

able! Often when I say this people respond that

compared to other neighborhoods we’re doing

great. But I don’t want to be compared to lesser

offerings. I want the city to focus on raising the

tide so that it will lift all boats, buoys, and other

floatable craft. We must demand an exceptional

quality of life, not mediocre!

When talking to residents of Trafalgar

Street this past week I was full of rage -- to hear

stories of Mrs. O’Neal, a 50 year resident of the

19th

ward, being forced from her home. For doing

what? Absolutely nothing.

Or stories of residents of Trafalgar

street like Larry, a neighbor who stepped up to

the plate and said this past December that we

must organize a block club. He now has to look

outside his window and see not one, not two, but

three houses over instead of one because of the

vacant space left by the arson. And then when

he does look out all he sees is boarded up and

smoke damaged housing. This is an absolute trag-

edy!

I have absolutely NO intentions of be-

ing scared away and much to my amazement

she’s looking forward to moving her mother here

from Los Angeles in the near future.

3 3

My name is Doris Mar-guerite Will Meadows and I am a HISTORY ADDICT. Some might think that addiction is too strong a word. Try pas-sion, strong interest, pre-occupation, occupation, or perhaps profession. After all I do have a Ph.D. and I do belong to professional historical associations and I have given papers and written articles. But membership is different than belong-ing and I have always remained marginal by choice which is very con-nected to being urban by choice.

While professional histo-rians, especially “local” historians, write about places, the point of view is from without not from within. One of the hall-marks of professional history is objectivity (more on that in future articles), and how can a person be “objective” about where they live? They have an “agenda” and can only write biased history. I once gave an historian a copy of my history booklet, Neighbor-hood As Community: The Nineteenth Ward in Roch-ester, New York. I recall the dismissive comments he made without even opening the cover. Com-munity history is re-garded as even less pro-fessional than local his-tory. After all, how can it be relevant to the rest of mankind when it is fo-cused on one particular

place?

Actually, all places are connected in space, in time and in “History”. Neighborhoods are shaped and affected by towns or cities, counties, states, countries and the world. In turn neighbor-hoods and the people in them and from them af-fect the bigger picture. History matters. Think about the construction of 390 that cut right through Genesee Valley Park. When I moved here in 1976, there was a tele-vision report about citi-zens, led by Action For A Better Community , standing in front of bull dozers which were poised to make the first cuts into our neighborhood’s mag-nificent Frederick Law Olmstead Park. The pro-test was seen by the re-porter as token resis-tance. The highway was “for the greater good” of the region. Federal and state highway funds were available and jobs were created to connect Roch-ester to the national highway system. All well and good but there was a before and an after. Now, when you retire to the quiet and serenity of that natural setting, you also hear the whoosh, whoosh of lanes of traffic, a price of “progress.”

History creates our pre-sent and determines the range of choices for our future. To get where we want to go we need to not only know where we

are, but also where we have been. Public history which is written for popular audiences rather than fellow academics, focuses on public loca-tions and policies in an effort to bring history to the discussion of future plans. Yet, at a recent meeting of the Brooks Landing Phase II Im-provements, consultants presented a history over-view that was a little thin (to put it kindly). They had minimal knowledge of Castle Town and had never heard of my book-let—kind of scary when historical markers are involved.

It is significant that the planners felt that they had to mention history but they had not con-sulted local history sources. Unfortunately, the professional public historians at colleges and universities are not fo-cused on or even con-nected to the local scene. Last year I was delighted to hear that RIT had a course on the national parks only to find out that the Women’s Rights National Historical Park at Seneca Falls was not included. As a member of the board of the Friends of the Park, I was espe-cially disappointed to observe the continued gap between the aca-demic studies of and the public experiences in his-tory. The good news is that nationally, profes-

(Continued on page 5)

INTRODUCINGINTRODUCINGINTRODUCINGINTRODUCING

HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19 copyrighted Doris M. Meadows

Or to have Kuo Reese, and Linda

Downy, residents here for only one year, have

to be faced with the dilemma of where or if to

move is completely unacceptable. I am, how-

ever, elated to say that after talking with Kuo,

they asked Kuo what did her mother say when

she heard about the tragedy, her response

totally blew me away!. Her mother, who re-

member, has never been here and only knows

the community from what her daughter tells

her, states, I have absolutely NO problem mov-

ing to the 19th

Ward because I know that those

actions do not depict the character of 19th

Warders. I say right on to Kuo’s mother and

right on to the 19th

Ward! But the positive

attitude of Kuo’s mother does not solve our

problems.

We cannot allow these transgressions

to afflict our community anymore. We must gain

a commitment from our elected officials that the

largest neighborhood in the city of Rochester

matters. Because as the 19th

Ward goes so does

the city! Within the next few weeks I have al-

ready set up meetings with Mayor Duffy and

Chief Moore to address these and other issues. I

encourage any and all input you may have!

Development

It is a little kept secret that develop-

ment in the south west (SW) is front and center.

If we look at Brooks Landing, Bulls Head, PLEX,

and Jefferson Ave, just to name a few areas, new

projects are sprouting up everywhere. This I

believe is a great thing! However, at the same

time I want us to be cognizant of the fact that if

we are not in front of this development, it’s likely

to bowl us over! But that will only NOT happen if

we, the community, are informed, active, and

diligent in our actions to not only eat at the table

of progress but also place ourselves in a position

to set the table as well.

One thing that I am for is for the com-

munity to begin and continue a dialogue as to

what we want to see developed in our backyard.

Not just concerning the proposed restaurant and

student housing on Staybridge site but with the

prospective development throughout the entire

SW.

We must create a collective vision

because until our community starts acting proac-

tively and creates a master plan we will perpetu-

ally be playing catch up and thus being reaction-

ary. We must demand partnership to ensure

collective prosperity!

Conclusion

2009 has certainly been a learning

experience for me as the leader of the 19th

ward

and I’m honored to serve as president for an-

other term to represent your interests to the

broader Rochester community. We’ve had nu-

merous successes! Although we’ve had a bounti-

ful and blessed year I want you to know that I

will not rest on past successes and truly look

forward, with your help, to guiding the 19th

Ward

into a record setting year. Thank you!!!

4

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sional public historical associations do have subgroups that recognize and culti-vate local community scholarship.

The History and Archives Committee of the Association is engaged in that work. We hope to produce a variety of commu-nity histories through archival research and history interviews which will be made available to the public. We have an important historical heritage that is part of the larger historical narrative even as we live in a small part of the world, our neighborhood. For example, this Janu-ary we will celebrate our fifth Luminary Evening to celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday. Why is Martin Luther King so important to the historical heri-tage of the Nineteenth Ward?

When I taught history at Wilson, every January my students would beg me “Please don’t make us listen to “I Have A Dream” one more time!! Inevitably, they would get to hear it on the public address system anyway but I honored their request. Instead, I would show them Martin Luther King’s last speech when he spoke of seeing the mountain-top but also acknowledging that he might not get there. In most of my classes students were shocked that he seemed to know that he was going to be killed and yet he asserted that he was

not afraid. It was an important introduc-tion to King’s immense courage. It also highlighted his commitment to fight against segregation and for his vision of the Beloved Community.

The 1960s was a crucial decade. Even though my students at Wilson, at MCC, and now at RIT, want to focus on the media’s “sex, drugs and rock and roll” view of the decade, it was also about social justice and the battle against seg-regation. In the Nineteenth Ward, one of the battles in that war was housing. In fact, the Nineteenth Ward Commu-nity Association was founded on that issue. After the 1964 riots, a policy of urban renewal cleared selected areas of sub standard housing including parts of the Third Ward around Clarissa St.

When displaced tenants and owners were given federal housing relocation money, realtors saw an opportunity to inflate their own earnings by blockbust-ing. The Nineteenth Ward was an easy target. Many original owners of homes built in the 1920’s were getting ready to downsize and the neighborhood was near the area torn down. But, many in the neighborhood resisted the illegal tactics and got “cease and desist” orders against the realtors. Instead, the com-munity advocated open housing and created a real estate service to make it

happen. The goal was to have a diverse but integrated community. After the violence of the 1964 riots, residents sought nonviolent tactics to create a peaceful transition to integration in the tradition of Martin Luther King’s vision of the Beloved Community.

In his first book, Stride Toward Freedom, Dr. King focused on the importance of nonviolence in attaining the Beloved Community. “In other words, our ulti-mate goal is integration, which is genu-ine inter-group and inter-personal liv-ing. Only through nonviolence can this goal be attained, for the aftermath of nonviolence is reconciliation and the creation of the beloved community."

In the forty years since the 1964 riots, the struggle for integration and commu-nity has continued in our neighborhood. The Nineteenth Ward Community As-sociation’s purpose “to create a con-scious multiracial community where individual and cultural differences are not only tolerated but celebrated and where people share a sense of commu-nity” is closely connected to King’s vi-sion. On January 18, we will light our luminaries and remind ourselves of that important history.

Next month—

Our Earliest History…

Doris M. Meadows

(Continued from page 3)

HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19HISTORICAL HERITAGE 19

6

Pasta Dinner Fundraiser

for Fire Survivors

On Friday, October 23, residents of Trafalgar Street were awakened by the sound of fire trucks responding to a four-alarm fire that totally destroyed two homes and seriously damaged a third. The neighbors of this normally quiet, tree-lined street of single family homes were shocked to learn that even as the homes were being doused with water in a valiant effort to save two of the homes, the fire was de-clared to be arson. This was unquestionably the worst fire in 19th Ward history.

The home at 202 Trafalgar, which was the target of the arson, was fully engulfed in flames before the first fire truck arrived. The wind quickly drove the flames to the home of 96-year-old Elizabeth O’Neill and her son Steve; their home had to be demolished three days later. The home at 198 Trafalgar was saved but was seriously dam-aged; it is estimated that repairs will take at least 6 months according to owners Lisa Downing and Kuo Resse who bought the home 4 months ago when they relocated to Rochester from California.

19th Warders and the congregation of St. Stephen’s Episco-pal Church rallied around their Trafalgar Street neighbors to help them with expenses they are experiencing as a re-sult of this fire. Merchants and neighbors donated all of the food needed to serve approximately 175 people at the November 20 fundraiser. Current and former 19th Ward residents, elected officials, members of St. Stephen’s con-gregation and Highland Family Medicine doctors and em-ployees (where Lisa downing is a resident) enjoyed good company and good food for this worthy cause. Thanks to our sponsors and contributors: the 19th Ward Community Association, St. Stephen’s Church, Cutaia’s Meat Market, Unity Health – St. Mary’s Campus, Ben Giambrone Co., Sysco Foods/Bill Walls, Johnson Paper/Steve Wurtzman, University of Rochester, Officer Kristin Runyon, Wegmans, Bauman’s Cider Mill, Savoia’s Pastry Shoppe, Staybridge Suites Hotel, and Holley’s Restaurant.

A special thanks to the 19th Ward and St. Stephen’s neighbors and friends who solicited, picked-up, passed out flyers, cooked/baked, set-up, served, ate, cleaned-up or sent in donations in order to show our concern and support to Mrs. O’Neill, Steve, Kuo and Lisa during these difficult days.

Thanks to the tremendous generosity of our neighborhood, nearly $3000 was raised for this worthy cause.

Mayor Duffy could not attend the dinner, but he sent the following letter for those who were in attendance:

Thanksgiving is here. Christmas is coming. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and our luminary evening follow shortly thereafter. Plans are already in the works. For those folks new to the area, and to the event, we light up the night with luminary candles lining the sidewalks. We serve hot chocolate and treats at various sites in the neighborhood, and stroll from our warm houses on a cold winter night to greet our neighbors, see the beauty, and remem-ber the great impact that Martin Luther King, Jr. made on all of our lives. See www.location19.org for photos. This past year’s event included a wonderful concert by the Rochester Oratorio Society on Sunday. There is a strong possibility that they will be able to perform again this January. Our next commemoration, still in the planning stages, has rumors of being a three day event. How fun it would be to get together, make luminaries, deliver them, and share dinner. Watch for details on Location19.

In an attempt to encourage more participation, we are hoping to find at least one person from each block who would be willing to assist their neighbors in procuring a luminary kit. Suggestions on how to do this would be:

♦ simply letting them know where they are available

♦ having some at your home for them to conveniently pick up

♦ delivering them from door to door in your block

♦ hosting or organizing a luminary making party for your block

♦ any or all of the above, or any other creative way that you might think of to encourage participation

If indeed you are willing to help out, please call Jackie Farrell, 436-8999, or send an email to farrugby@yahoo.com

So, get that 2010 calendar, mark January 18 and the weekend before for spending time with your neighbors and lighting up the neighborhood for all to see.

7 7

City Hall Room 308A, 30 Church Street Rochester, New York 14614-1290 www.cityofrochester.gov

November 20, 2009 President J.B. Afoh-Manin, Priest-In-Charge Mary Ann Brody, Officers and Members of the 19th Ward Community Association, the Other Distinguished Clergy, Staff, and Congregants of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, and the Good-Hearted, Generous Neighbors of the 19th Ward and the Greater Rochester Community, Dear Friends, While it was a tragic, sorrowful episode that led to this afternoon and this evening’s gathering at St. Stephens, that inauspicious moment yields this wonderful expression of caring and generosity. On behalf of the City of Rochester, I convey our profound respect, gratitude, and appreciation. You are, of course, providing tangible, significant assistance to those victimized by the Trafalgar Street fire, but, moreover, you are demonstrating the best of human character and neighborliness. What is happening here is an expression of “community” in one of its best and highest meanings. I genuinely regret that out-of-town travel prevents me from attending this Pasta Dinner fund-raising event, but I commend all involved in organizing and preparing it and those who are attending and supporting this most worthy cause. I know that being there would put me in the company of some of the best, most generous, and most caring people in Rochester. Please enjoy a wonderful meal, the fellowship of good people, and the respect and admiration of our City. Sincerely yours, Robert J. Duffy Mayor

Robert J. Duffy Mayor

Phone: 585.428.7045 Fax: 585.428.6059 TTY: 585.428.6054 EEO/ADA Employer

8

9 9

19th Ward Community Association

Delegates’ Council Meeting Minutes

November 08, 2009

Secretary’s Report: After review a motion was made seconded

and passed to accept the secretary’s report for October 8, 2009.

Treasurer’s Report: Angie Burch presented the financial state-ment for October, 2009. She that expenses are $4,400 over budget YTD. This is due to a decline in revenue from member-ship. Following discussion a motion was made, seconded and passed to accept the report as presented. Mrs. Burch presented the proposed budget for 2010. Approximately $5000 less in income and revenue has been budgeted for the coming year to reflect the change in income seen in 2009. She noted that no expense was budgeted for the annual Citizen/Merchant Dinner and if the budget is passed as proposed a sponsor will need to be found for the event. A motion was made, seconded and passed to present

the proposed budget for 2010 at the annual convention.

Old Business

District Meetings – Sharon Conheady reported that two new delegates were obtained through district meetings. In general

attendance at the meetings was poor.

Nomination Committee – Don Hanks explained that there was difficulty finding new candidates for office, therefore, all the can-didates are running unopposed. The candidate for secretary is a special situation as he does not actually live in the 19th ward. Don will meet with the president to see how this issue can be ad-

dressed.

History/Archives – Mary Dan Cooper reported that the commit-tee applied for a grant that was not received and the group is now applying for different grant. The committee is involved in devel-oping ideas for the southwest riverfront development. Walks with information on the area are being led by John Curran. Doris Meadows is on a citywide committee that is examining the issues

regarding development of the area.

Membership – Angie Burch and Sheila Simmons reported that a meeting held for churches was attended by representatives from six churches. The committee offered to send representatives to

the churches if the churches would hold “19th WCA Sundays.”

Zoning – Sharon Conheady reported that the riverfront develop-ment will be the topic at the 11/19/2009 meeting of the South-west Common Council. City experts will attend to discuss the zoning issues. John DeMott reported that a permit has been filed for a special alternative sign plan for Thurston Rd. businesses as most signs currently violate city code. He requested that the 19thWCA submit a letter to the city in support of the project. A motion was made, seconded and passed to write a letter in sup-

port of the special alternative sign plan for Thurston Rd.

Special Events

Convention – Sharon Conheady reported on the preparations for

convention.

House Tour – A final report is not yet available.

New Business

Local Incident of Arson – The Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Rochester and two representatives from the Arson Squad pre-sented information about arson in general and arson in the neighborhood. There is no question that the fire on Trafalgar Street was arson. They are pursuing what leads they have but, the time of the fire, 6 AM, makes it difficult to find witnesses. The majority of fires in the city and the neighborhood are not caused

by arson, they are accidental.

Circle Garden – Michael Warren Thomas is working as a part-time horticulturist for the city of Rochester and was asked to get a gauge of the neighborhood’s feelings regarding the maintenance of peace garden at Woodbine and Aberdeen by the family of a teenager that was killed nearby in a gang related incident. The family approached the city about doing the maintenance in mem-ory of their relative. The city would furnish the plantings, a plague would be placed in the garden identifying it as a peace garden with no individual’s name on it and the family would maintain the garden. Extensive discussion occurred followed by a motion for the 19thWCA to support the concept of a community “peace” garden at Woodbine and Aberdeen without an individ-ual’s name on it and if those offering to care for it are willing to engage others in the area to assist in the endeavor. The motion was seconded and carried with 15 members of the council voting

in favor of the motion.

Luminary Night – Jackie Farrell asked members of the Dele-gates’ Council to help identify people in each district that are willing to distribute luminary kits from their homes during the two weeks prior to the event. She also reported that all informa-

tion on the event will be on the website “Location 19.”

Neighbor Good Grant – Angie Burch reported on the grant of-fered by the Rochester Area Foundation which is for a maximum of $2000. The group agreed to submit the grant requesting the

funds to update our website.

Spaghetti Dinner – Sharon Conheady discussed the event and

encouraged everyone to attend or make a donation.

Respectfully submitted by: Mercelle B. Jackson

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DecemberDecemberDecemberDecember Calendar of EventsCalendar of EventsCalendar of EventsCalendar of Events

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Pac-Tac Saturation

7pm @ NSC

2

Public Safety Com-

mittee, 6:30pm @

19WCA Office

3 4 5

6 7 8 9

PCIC Meeting

7pm @ Staybridge

Hotel

10

Delegates’ Council

7pm @ 19WCA

Office

11

12

13

Sunday with

Santa! 1-5pm @

Boulder Coffee

Company

14 15

Membership Com-

mittee 7pm @

19WCA Office

16

Pac-Tac Saturation

7pm @ NSC

17 18 19

History & Archives

Comm., 9:30am @

Boulder Coffee

Company

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

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