SouthWest Common Council

Thursday, 6/18/15, 6 p.m.

Host:  Arnett Library

In attendance:

Jen Beideman FLHSA - jennbeideman@flhsa.org 

John Boutet LocationSW & SWCC Education- jboutet@frontiernet.net  

Eleanor Coleman ProsperRochester, Inc. - eleanor.coleman@gmail.com  224-5119

Mary Dan Cooper 19th Ward - marydan@frontiernet.net  

Elizabeth Doucette Cottage Street Block Club - cottagestreetvoices@gmail.com    

Dorian Hall PLEX – dorian@pl-ex.org 

Dorothy Hall PLEX – dhall555@hotmail.com

Donna Hodgins PLEX - hodgins257@gmail.com 

Jennifer Lenio SW Libraries - jennifer.lenio@libraryweb.org  428-8272  

Bonny Mayer Corn Hill - bmayer@rocheser.rr.com 

Colleen McCarthy UR - colleen.mccarthy@urmc.rochester.edu 

Dawn Noto SWCC Chair & Susan B. Anthony District - dnoto1872@gmail.com

Norm Roberts SWAN - nroberts@swanonline.org  436-8201

RPD - out walking the streets.

Dawn has minutes of the SW Quadrant meeting; not sure to whom they are made available. John will check with Donna Sarnacki who attends that meeting for 19th Ward.

SWCC Education Committee - John Boutet

Square Fair resulted in some volunteers who signed up to represent the various SW schools.

Superintendent will supply books for the Little Free Libraries; he encourages neighbors to set them up and they will continue to supply books throughout the summer.

Still awaiting information about School #16 renovation; City money was approved.

Mary Adams helped to pass a motion to keep School #44 open until School #16 is open.

Dave Culenot will not be purchasing Hunt’s; lack of support cited.

UR - Colleen McCarthy

UR security walked in the Suare Fair parade (as they did for National Night Out)

SW Libraries - Jennifer Lenio

Both libraries - Free Summer Learning Labs, 4 days a week for K-6; 2 hrs day with Certified Teachers.

Arnett

Party to celebrate Library of the Year Award; next Friday, 5:30; all welcome.

Resource fair for teens and adults; barbecue; lots of fighting going on among youth in front of library; rumored gang activity.

Wheatley

 All next week, Summer Solstice celebration; summer resolution activities; clothing collection for donations.

Free TASC classes in the Fall (3 days/wk for a couple of hours); 

Corn Hill - Bonnie Mayer

Struggling with School #3.  Intended to donation money and to host an ice cream social.  Unable to locate anyone at the school to whom money can be delivered.

Corn Hill Arts Festival next month.

Saturday is the Community Blitz - 8:30 until; breakfast, lunch, door prizes; remove all of the tall grass in Corn Hill

Believe they've convinced FEMA that the Genesee River is not going to flood which has been resulting in very high insurance costs for residents.

Umbrellas, chairs and picnic tables will be out next week.

7/5, 2-3, Corn Hill Walking Tour with Robert Goodling and Jim DeVinney to talk about the history of the fair; believe it starts at Avery Mall.

PLEX - Dorian Hall, Dorothy Hall

Summer Lunch program starts July 1

Attended City Council meeting to ask that 743 So Plymouth Ave not be allowed to go from - low impact to high impact

Annual meeting 6/30 @ Carlson Commons, 6 p.m.

SWAN - Norm Roberts

Summer Lunch & Breakfast to be provided in conjunction with Summer Program

Swimming will be at the Madison site

July 9, first Foodlink Curbside Market at SWAN

19th Ward - Mary Dan Cooper

Square Fair was a success; thanked UR for their participation

Quilt hanging at Square Fair will be raffled off; past 19th Ward t-shirts

Co-sponsored a 2-day historical event using the movies Selma & Eyes of the Prize; very informative and fascinating presentation by Historian Jim Divinney from Corn Hill.

Eddie DiPonzio, local barber, was sled Grand Marshall of parade this year - oldest or 2nd oldest establishment ; video is about how he got started with barbering union

Were asked to support the Fight for $15 (minimum wage); division of opinion in regards to whether

Reunion picnic at GVP with Golf Tournament the next day; very successful - about 230 people

FLHSA - Jenn Beideman

Have successfully advocated with parents that a clause be added to the discipline policy so District can’t use recess as a way of punishing students

Summer Meals start 6/29 - Free Breakfast and Lunch for any child under the age of 18; many sites participating; 211 can provide details on where the sites are or go to FLHSA.org

Jenn has new contact information as she was recently married.

Cottage Street Block Club - Elizabeth Doucette

We have a Little Free Library  (23 Cottage St) focused on children; very popular

Legacy Garden is growing well

Also involved with the Community Store; supported the store - store wanted the ability to sell tobacco.  Will only have it for one year.  

Concern in community that drug dealers hang out in that area and that cigarettes may promote that.  Cigars are what feed the drug dealers (tired of picking up the blunt wrappers).  

High calls for service at this location; lots of garbage.  

Jenn offered FLHSA support in making stores a healthier environment (collaborate with Foodlink to provide fresh fruits and vegetables).  Funding includes an interior and exterior remodeling.

Setting up a garden at the location where the youth hangout to establish a rapport.

Need alternatives for youth.  Eleanor brought up OACES technical training programs that also offer high school equivalency instruction; rolling enrollment.

Wages don’t go far enough; need to work with employers to provide adequate wages.

Library would like to offer more TASC opportunities; City funds the libraries; Central Library is closing on Sundays (County Funding).  No library services in the City on Sundays.  Lobby your Council people for more library services.

Meeting to discuss what is going to happen to the park between Staybridge and Elmwood - 6/23, 6 p.m. at the NSC Office.  Important to let State Park Land know what it is we want - and don’t want.  Appears to be limited to no community involvement connected to decisions being made about the park area.

ProsperRochester, Inc. - Eleanor Coleman

Kitchen rental hours available at $25/hr; reduced pricing for more than 4 hours or regular hours.

Car drove through the window at 540 W. Main; 4 young people involved who abandoned vehicle.

Met with a funder who presented the Detroit Soup program to us as a possibility for Rochester - community engagement through supporting entrepreneurship efforts; provide connection and resources to help people start their own business.  Includes a competition (somewhat like Shark Tank, only much friendlier) and seed money that is awarded to a community vote on whose project is most likely to succeed. 

Family Independent Initiative (FII) is under discussion with various leaders and funders.  Anticipating that there will be national representatives coming to town to present to Rochester. Planning envisions two presentations:  the first one would be for prospective/interested families who could speak with active FII family members; the second one would be for leaders and funders.

Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood - Dawn Noto

Juneteenth Festival - about 800 people.  Very successful.  Parade of children from local schools (about 80 children and families from Liberty Pole to SBA Park).

Cunningham Carriage received an award from NYS Preservation League; Dawn to nominate them for Design Center which has a Robert Macon Innovation Award.

Held 2nd monthly neighborhood meeting at Cunningham location.

Clean-up program every Saturday with youth (11 yr old and 21 yr old); youth are paid.

Westside Farmers Market  

Open Tuesdays 4-7:30.  Walk with the Doc starts at 5:30 (2 mile walk around the neighborhood; get a coupon to use at the market); music & other entertainment; minor bike repairs and tune ups.

Market supplements SNAP benefits to stretch food dollars.

Please “like” their FB page.

Respectfully Submitted,

Eleanor Coleman

eleanor.coleman@gmail.com