Monday, October 31, 2016
Week ahead: Events for the week of Monday, October 31
Posted By City news staff on Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 9:53 AM
The Canandaigua Lake Association will sponsor “Alien Invasives Threaten Lake,” a talk at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1, as part of its “Viewpoints” series.
Hilary Mosher, director of the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will talk about the recent activities of the Water Chestnut Strike Team and the removal of the plant.
The removal of invasive plants and animals from visiting boats will also be discussed. The event will be held at Finger Lakes Community College, stage 14, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive.
The Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will present “Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution,” a discussion of the book by Nathaniel Philbrick.
This is the story of a world crisis as a country fights for its freedom and how that newly formed nation must decide how it will be governed. The book will be reviewed by Carolyn Vacca, chair of the history department at St. John Fisher College.
The event will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1, at the Central Library, 115 South Avenue, from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
Hilary Mosher, director of the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management at Hobart and William Smith Colleges will talk about the recent activities of the Water Chestnut Strike Team and the removal of the plant.
The removal of invasive plants and animals from visiting boats will also be discussed. The event will be held at Finger Lakes Community College, stage 14, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive.
The Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will present “Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution,” a discussion of the book by Nathaniel Philbrick.
This is the story of a world crisis as a country fights for its freedom and how that newly formed nation must decide how it will be governed. The book will be reviewed by Carolyn Vacca, chair of the history department at St. John Fisher College.
The event will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1, at the Central Library, 115 South Avenue, from 12:12 p.m. to 12:52 p.m. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
Friday, October 28, 2016
Somebody save us from 2016
Posted By Jeremy Moule on Fri, Oct 28, 2016 at 5:16 PM
In Donald Trump, we have a presidential candidate who's gone off the rails, between casual dismissal of his own remarks about sexual assault and offensive characterizations of Mexicans, Muslims, women, and plenty of other people and groups.
Locally, a white supremacist group is tossing fliers saying that we need to make Rochester greater by making it whiter into Pittsford and Brighton driveways in the middle of the night.
And now, we have Republican State Assembly candidate Joe Errigo impugning the City of Rochester with racially insensitive remarks made in a matter-of-fact manner on a local radio program. During that same broadcast, he declared that President Barack Obama is telling black people to “kill the whites.”
Perhaps worse, nobody from Errigo's party is publicly condemning him or his remarks.
At one point, 2016 was a raging dumpster fire, but it’s now something worse: it’s a tire fire that was started by that dumpster fire. No matter how hard anyone tries to smother this putrid, smoldering disaster, the piles of garbage burst back into flames, sickening us all.
What’s there to say that hasn’t been said? These awful, sad, infuriating, destructive, and exhausting things keep happening. They set us back as neighbors, communities, and a country. Collectively, we've lost our minds.
Here’s what Errigo said on WXXI’s Connections on Thursday afternoon regarding the City of Rochester. He started by telling host Evan Dawson that he grew up on Carter Street near Hudson Avenue, and rapidly shifted into a trope that could have been hyperbole, but sure didn't sound like it.
“It was a beautiful area when I was growing up, however, like I say, I wouldn’t go down there in a bulletproof car," Errigo said.
Suddenly it's OK to say any damned thing you want and the people who call you out on it are the ones who are wrong. Errigo owes Rochester an apology.
And here’s what Errigo said about Obama, after Dawson asked him whether non-whites are treated differently:
In a later interview with the Democrat and Chronicle, Errigo tried to clarify that he was talking about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor in Chicago. Obama has since disavowed him.
Whatever.
Errigo has an opponent, Democrat Barbara Baer, so voters in the 133rd Assembly District have a choice. The district covers the towns of Rush, Wheatland, Mendon, and Pittsford; the villages of Pittsford and Scottsville; all of Livingston County; and several communities in Steuben County.
His potential constituents could send a message that they think he’s wrong and that they won't stand for these kind of antiquated, boorish remarks. If they vote him into office, they’re tacitly agreeing with him.
But the district is a Republican stronghold and history says that Errigo will probably win. The whole world has gone mad.
Locally, a white supremacist group is tossing fliers saying that we need to make Rochester greater by making it whiter into Pittsford and Brighton driveways in the middle of the night.
And now, we have Republican State Assembly candidate Joe Errigo impugning the City of Rochester with racially insensitive remarks made in a matter-of-fact manner on a local radio program. During that same broadcast, he declared that President Barack Obama is telling black people to “kill the whites.”
Perhaps worse, nobody from Errigo's party is publicly condemning him or his remarks.
At one point, 2016 was a raging dumpster fire, but it’s now something worse: it’s a tire fire that was started by that dumpster fire. No matter how hard anyone tries to smother this putrid, smoldering disaster, the piles of garbage burst back into flames, sickening us all.
What’s there to say that hasn’t been said? These awful, sad, infuriating, destructive, and exhausting things keep happening. They set us back as neighbors, communities, and a country. Collectively, we've lost our minds.
Here’s what Errigo said on WXXI’s Connections on Thursday afternoon regarding the City of Rochester. He started by telling host Evan Dawson that he grew up on Carter Street near Hudson Avenue, and rapidly shifted into a trope that could have been hyperbole, but sure didn't sound like it.
“It was a beautiful area when I was growing up, however, like I say, I wouldn’t go down there in a bulletproof car," Errigo said.
Suddenly it's OK to say any damned thing you want and the people who call you out on it are the ones who are wrong. Errigo owes Rochester an apology.
And here’s what Errigo said about Obama, after Dawson asked him whether non-whites are treated differently:
No. I think they take that attitude because it’s given to them. When you hear the president’s minister say, instead of God Bless America, ‘God damn America,' let them feel the pain, now you’re bringing this back to slavery and I was not part of that, my parents weren’t part of it. We lost a lot of people over to that fight.
But I think the president has done a disservice and I don’t condone [sic]. I hear the way he talks sometimes that just , they’re telling the black people "Get out there, kill them, kill the whites." So he’s to blame.
In a later interview with the Democrat and Chronicle, Errigo tried to clarify that he was talking about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor in Chicago. Obama has since disavowed him.
Whatever.
Errigo has an opponent, Democrat Barbara Baer, so voters in the 133rd Assembly District have a choice. The district covers the towns of Rush, Wheatland, Mendon, and Pittsford; the villages of Pittsford and Scottsville; all of Livingston County; and several communities in Steuben County.
His potential constituents could send a message that they think he’s wrong and that they won't stand for these kind of antiquated, boorish remarks. If they vote him into office, they’re tacitly agreeing with him.
But the district is a Republican stronghold and history says that Errigo will probably win. The whole world has gone mad.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Bold new proposal put forth for Midtown
Posted By Christine Carrie Fien on Wed, Oct 26, 2016 at 11:40 AM
Underwhelmed by the available options and, he says, determined to give Rochester a real choice, Fraser Smillie sat down at his computer to brainstorm a new concept for Parcel 5 at Midtown in downtown Rochester (see proposal below).
What he and Bud DeWolff, owner of DeWolff Partnership Architects, came up with is a statement building: a minimum 14-story glass-and-steel structure with a hotel, offices, restaurant, 3,000-seat performing arts center, housing, and other amenities.
An optics museum to showcase Rochester’s rich imaging history as well as its future in photonics is another possibility, says Smillie, who’s retired from Xerox, where he did marketing.
“Is it a final plan? No,” he says. “It’s just a plan to say that there are other options available. I think what we have done is sort of stir the pot a little bit by saying, ‘Here’s another chance to do something right.’”
Smillie puts the price tag at about $150 million and says that he potentially has a group of interested investors. But investors are reluctant to commit unless the City of Rochester shows it is taking the proposal seriously, he says.
That may be a sticking point; the deadline to submit proposals is long past. But in an unusual but not unprecedented move, City Council members say that they will interview the developers behind each Parcel 5 proposal. Council member Carolee Conklin said in today’s Democrat and Chronicle that she’s willing to include the Smillie-DeWolff proposal in that process.
The traditional route is for the mayor to choose a proposal and then send the recommendation to City Council for approval.
The other proposals are: a 14-story mixed-use tower; performing arts center; and green space for concerts and other public uses.
Smillie says those proposals are really not “choices.” The city will undoubtedly choose the mixed-use proposal, put forth by Gallina Development, he says. Now the city will have a real choice, he says.
“Here we have an opportunity do something really neat, and Bud came up with a great-looking building,” Smillie says.
What he and Bud DeWolff, owner of DeWolff Partnership Architects, came up with is a statement building: a minimum 14-story glass-and-steel structure with a hotel, offices, restaurant, 3,000-seat performing arts center, housing, and other amenities.
An optics museum to showcase Rochester’s rich imaging history as well as its future in photonics is another possibility, says Smillie, who’s retired from Xerox, where he did marketing.
“Is it a final plan? No,” he says. “It’s just a plan to say that there are other options available. I think what we have done is sort of stir the pot a little bit by saying, ‘Here’s another chance to do something right.’”
Smillie puts the price tag at about $150 million and says that he potentially has a group of interested investors. But investors are reluctant to commit unless the City of Rochester shows it is taking the proposal seriously, he says.
That may be a sticking point; the deadline to submit proposals is long past. But in an unusual but not unprecedented move, City Council members say that they will interview the developers behind each Parcel 5 proposal. Council member Carolee Conklin said in today’s Democrat and Chronicle that she’s willing to include the Smillie-DeWolff proposal in that process.
The traditional route is for the mayor to choose a proposal and then send the recommendation to City Council for approval.
The other proposals are: a 14-story mixed-use tower; performing arts center; and green space for concerts and other public uses.
Smillie says those proposals are really not “choices.” The city will undoubtedly choose the mixed-use proposal, put forth by Gallina Development, he says. Now the city will have a real choice, he says.
“Here we have an opportunity do something really neat, and Bud came up with a great-looking building,” Smillie says.
2016 10-24 City Centre Complex by Scott Fien on Scribd
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Students making progress, but big challenges remain
Posted By Christine Carrie Fien on Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 11:24 AM
The state of Rochester's children is...a little bit better, according to a report issued today (see below) by ROC the Future, an alliance of Rochester-area institutions and community partners working to improve student achievement in the city school district.
The alliance issues a report card each year that takes a look at 45 indicators of academic achievement. The 2016 report shows improvement in four of 10 key indicators, including a 1.6 percent increase in third-grade reading and 620 fewer truant students.
The report shows a 3 percent decrease in the number of 4 year olds enrolled in pre-kindergarten or Head Start, but a significant increase — 19 percent — in the number of 3 year olds enrolled in the same programs.
Problem areas: pre-k data shows that 55.5 percent of students are chronically absent, and 65 percent of students in K-8 do not have access to after-school programs.
The report also shows the rapid rise of enrollment in charter schools and corresponding enrollment decline in the city school district. In the 2006-07 school year, 761 city students were enrolled in charter schools, while 32,586 attended the city school district. In the 2015-2016 school year, those numbers were 4,629 to 27,611, respectively.
Only 15 percent of RCSD students who graduated and went on to attend Monroe Community College were college-ready in both English and math, according to report. That number has essentially held steady since at least 2008.
Particularly striking in the report is the section that breaks down achievement by race and gender in Rochester vs. the state. Statewide, 83 percent of male and 90 percent of female Asian students graduated in 2015. In Rochester, those numbers are 48 percent and 43 percent, respectively. Similar disparities are found in other demographic groups.
The alliance issues a report card each year that takes a look at 45 indicators of academic achievement. The 2016 report shows improvement in four of 10 key indicators, including a 1.6 percent increase in third-grade reading and 620 fewer truant students.
The report shows a 3 percent decrease in the number of 4 year olds enrolled in pre-kindergarten or Head Start, but a significant increase — 19 percent — in the number of 3 year olds enrolled in the same programs.
Problem areas: pre-k data shows that 55.5 percent of students are chronically absent, and 65 percent of students in K-8 do not have access to after-school programs.
The report also shows the rapid rise of enrollment in charter schools and corresponding enrollment decline in the city school district. In the 2006-07 school year, 761 city students were enrolled in charter schools, while 32,586 attended the city school district. In the 2015-2016 school year, those numbers were 4,629 to 27,611, respectively.
Only 15 percent of RCSD students who graduated and went on to attend Monroe Community College were college-ready in both English and math, according to report. That number has essentially held steady since at least 2008.
Particularly striking in the report is the section that breaks down achievement by race and gender in Rochester vs. the state. Statewide, 83 percent of male and 90 percent of female Asian students graduated in 2015. In Rochester, those numbers are 48 percent and 43 percent, respectively. Similar disparities are found in other demographic groups.
State of Our Children Report Card 2016 by Scott Fien on Scribd
Monday, October 24, 2016
Dems: Increase county child care spending
Posted By Jeremy Moule on Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 5:19 PM
The county has, over the past five years, cut the amount it pays toward child day care subsidies by approximately $2.6 million. County Legislature Democrats today asked County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo to put back $1 million of the funding in her upcoming 2017 budget proposal.
The ask echoes a request from the Children's Agenda, which says that the need for day care assistance exceeds the number of available slots. Democrats and advocates say that an increase in child care subsidies would lead to more open slots, which would allow more low-income parents to work and become self-sufficient.
"If there's good will for a cause, there's a way," Democratic Minority Leader Cynthia Kaleh said during a press conference this afternoon.
Through a series of cuts, the county dropped its funding for child care subsidies from $8.2 million in 2011 to $5.6 million in the 2016 budget. The state has modestly increased the amount of funding it provides the county for the subsidies. So the funding has remained effectively flat, while the cost of child care has increased, and demand has grown, especially in the suburbs.
"We need this," said Legislator Vincent Felder. "It's important for all of our residents."
Former County Executive Maggie Brooks and members of her administration pushed back against previous requests for more child care funding. They said that the county had done its part by consistently providing substantially more money than the state required, and that it was time for the state to step up and help the county meet local child care subsidy needs.
Dinolfo will most likely release her budget proposal after Election Day.
The ask echoes a request from the Children's Agenda, which says that the need for day care assistance exceeds the number of available slots. Democrats and advocates say that an increase in child care subsidies would lead to more open slots, which would allow more low-income parents to work and become self-sufficient.
"If there's good will for a cause, there's a way," Democratic Minority Leader Cynthia Kaleh said during a press conference this afternoon.
Through a series of cuts, the county dropped its funding for child care subsidies from $8.2 million in 2011 to $5.6 million in the 2016 budget. The state has modestly increased the amount of funding it provides the county for the subsidies. So the funding has remained effectively flat, while the cost of child care has increased, and demand has grown, especially in the suburbs.
"We need this," said Legislator Vincent Felder. "It's important for all of our residents."
Former County Executive Maggie Brooks and members of her administration pushed back against previous requests for more child care funding. They said that the county had done its part by consistently providing substantially more money than the state required, and that it was time for the state to step up and help the county meet local child care subsidy needs.
Dinolfo will most likely release her budget proposal after Election Day.
[NEWS] WEEK AHEAD: Events for the week of Monday, October 24
Posted By City news staff on Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 9:47 AM
ROC the Future, a public-private partnership of government and community organizations working to improve academic achievement for Rochester’s children, will release its fourth annual community report card on Tuesday. The report card tracks key measures of well-being for children and youth in the City of Rochester, from cradle to career.
Speakers include Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo; Mayor Lovely Warren; RCSD Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams; and Jennifer Leonard, president and CEO of the Rochester Area Community Foundation.
Advantage Downtown offers a look inside downtown Rochester’s premier workspaces at a workspace crawl on Thursday, October 27. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are $10 per person. Participants will tour One East Avenue, Clinton Square, and the Seneca Building.
Light hors d'oeuvres, cocktail reception, and raffle entry are included in the ticket price.
Free parking will be available in Clinton Square's private, underground parking garage. The entrance ramp is located off of S. Clinton Avenue between Clinton Square and the Metropolitan. Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 25, but limited walk-ins will be accepted.
Register by phone or email at 546-6920 or [email protected]. BY CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN
The Rochester school board will hold a work session on its managed school choice policy on Tuesday, October 25.
The policy, which is under review, basically provides guidelines for parents for choosing an elementary school within one of the district’s three school zones.
Tuesday’s meeting will be held at the district’s central office, 131 West Broad Street, at 6 p.m.
The League of Women Voters and Monroe County Board of Elections commissioners will present “Voting in Monroe County 2016,” a public forum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26.
Elections commissioners Thomas Ferrarese and David Van Varick will hold a question-and-answer session to address issues such as security measures to protect votes and voters, use of paper ballots, and whether some of the recent out-of-state election reform measures will become legislation in New York State.
The event will be held at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road South. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
The Voice of the Voter collaborative will hold a county clerk debate at 8 p.m. tonight (Monday, October 24). It will air on WXXI television, WXXI 1370 AM, WXXInews.org, democratandchronicle.com, 13wham.com, and wdkx.com.
Democrat Adam Bello, who was appointed to the clerk position earlier this year by Governor Andrew Cuomo, faces a challenge from Republican Cheryl Rozzi, the Greece town clerk.
Voice of the Voter is a partnership between WXXI, the Democrat and Chronicle, WHAM channel 13, and WDKX 103.9 FM.
The Rochester People’s Climate Coalition and Metro Justice will hold a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, titled "Race, Class, and the Climate Crisis." The discussion will take place at the Rochester Regional Joint Board, 750 East Avenue; details are available here.
The panelists will be Sue Hughes-Smith of the Rochester People's Climate Coalition; Larry Knox of Metro Justice; and Rebecca Newberry of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. Amorette Shaw , chief of staff for the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, will moderate the discussion. BY JEREMY MOULE
Speakers include Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo; Mayor Lovely Warren; RCSD Superintendent Barbara Deane-Williams; and Jennifer Leonard, president and CEO of the Rochester Area Community Foundation.
Advantage Downtown offers a look inside downtown Rochester’s premier workspaces at a workspace crawl on Thursday, October 27. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are $10 per person. Participants will tour One East Avenue, Clinton Square, and the Seneca Building.
Light hors d'oeuvres, cocktail reception, and raffle entry are included in the ticket price.
Free parking will be available in Clinton Square's private, underground parking garage. The entrance ramp is located off of S. Clinton Avenue between Clinton Square and the Metropolitan. Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 25, but limited walk-ins will be accepted.
Register by phone or email at 546-6920 or [email protected]. BY CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN
The Rochester school board will hold a work session on its managed school choice policy on Tuesday, October 25.
The policy, which is under review, basically provides guidelines for parents for choosing an elementary school within one of the district’s three school zones.
Tuesday’s meeting will be held at the district’s central office, 131 West Broad Street, at 6 p.m.
The League of Women Voters and Monroe County Board of Elections commissioners will present “Voting in Monroe County 2016,” a public forum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26.
Elections commissioners Thomas Ferrarese and David Van Varick will hold a question-and-answer session to address issues such as security measures to protect votes and voters, use of paper ballots, and whether some of the recent out-of-state election reform measures will become legislation in New York State.
The event will be held at First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road South. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
The Voice of the Voter collaborative will hold a county clerk debate at 8 p.m. tonight (Monday, October 24). It will air on WXXI television, WXXI 1370 AM, WXXInews.org, democratandchronicle.com, 13wham.com, and wdkx.com.
Democrat Adam Bello, who was appointed to the clerk position earlier this year by Governor Andrew Cuomo, faces a challenge from Republican Cheryl Rozzi, the Greece town clerk.
Voice of the Voter is a partnership between WXXI, the Democrat and Chronicle, WHAM channel 13, and WDKX 103.9 FM.
The Rochester People’s Climate Coalition and Metro Justice will hold a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 27, titled "Race, Class, and the Climate Crisis." The discussion will take place at the Rochester Regional Joint Board, 750 East Avenue; details are available here.
The panelists will be Sue Hughes-Smith of the Rochester People's Climate Coalition; Larry Knox of Metro Justice; and Rebecca Newberry of the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. Amorette Shaw , chief of staff for the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, will moderate the discussion. BY JEREMY MOULE
Monday, October 17, 2016
Week ahead: Events for the week of Monday, October 17
Posted By City news staff on Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 10:01 AM
The League of Women Voters and WROC-TV will co-sponsor a debate between Representative Louise Slaughter and Gates Town Supervisor Mark Assini, candidates for the 25th U.S. Congressional District.
The debate will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, at WROC studios, 201 Humboldt Street, and will be broadcast live.
Local clergy and Rochester ACTS will hold a press conference this week on “recent white-supremacist activities,” according to a press release. The event is at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, at Trinity Emmanuel Church, 9 Shelter Street.
The event is a response to the distribution of white-supremacist leaflets in Brighton and Pittsford. No group has taken responsibility for the leaflets, but they are linked to a website, whiterochester.org
The press conference will address the difference between prejudice and institutional racism, the press release says.
Author Steven Nemerovski will lead a discussion of third-party politics at Writers & Books at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. His books will be on sale in the W&B bookstore, too. The event is free and open to the public.
Nemerovski is an adjunct professor with the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren will meet constituents at one of her regular Coffee with the Mayor events this weekend. It’s from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the LDR Char Pit, 4753 Lake Avenue. Given the location, Warren is sure to field questions on the Port of Rochester project, which has been in limbo since she pulled the plug on the project’s developer over financing. BY CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN
The Environmental Climate Task Force of First Unitarian Church will show “Trashed: No Place for Waste,” a documentary film, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18.
The film by writer and director Candida Brady has won numerous awards for its examination of how garbage of every kind – from medical waste to plastic bottles – is accumulating at such a rapid pace in cities all over the world that we are running out of places to dump it.
The film is narrated by Jeremy Irons and will be shown at First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Road South.
The City of Rochester’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development will hold a public meeting to provide the results of the city’s Focused Investment Strategy for neighborhood revitalization.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. The first FIS program was implemented from 2009 to 2014 and targeted portions of the following neighborhoods: Marketview Heights, Beechwood, Dewey and Driving Park, and Jefferson Avenue.
The meeting will be held at the Rundel Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Avenue. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
The debate will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, at WROC studios, 201 Humboldt Street, and will be broadcast live.
Local clergy and Rochester ACTS will hold a press conference this week on “recent white-supremacist activities,” according to a press release. The event is at 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, at Trinity Emmanuel Church, 9 Shelter Street.
The event is a response to the distribution of white-supremacist leaflets in Brighton and Pittsford. No group has taken responsibility for the leaflets, but they are linked to a website, whiterochester.org
The press conference will address the difference between prejudice and institutional racism, the press release says.
Author Steven Nemerovski will lead a discussion of third-party politics at Writers & Books at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 22. His books will be on sale in the W&B bookstore, too. The event is free and open to the public.
Nemerovski is an adjunct professor with the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren will meet constituents at one of her regular Coffee with the Mayor events this weekend. It’s from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the LDR Char Pit, 4753 Lake Avenue. Given the location, Warren is sure to field questions on the Port of Rochester project, which has been in limbo since she pulled the plug on the project’s developer over financing. BY CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN
The Environmental Climate Task Force of First Unitarian Church will show “Trashed: No Place for Waste,” a documentary film, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18.
The film by writer and director Candida Brady has won numerous awards for its examination of how garbage of every kind – from medical waste to plastic bottles – is accumulating at such a rapid pace in cities all over the world that we are running out of places to dump it.
The film is narrated by Jeremy Irons and will be shown at First Unitarian Church, 220 Winton Road South.
The City of Rochester’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development will hold a public meeting to provide the results of the city’s Focused Investment Strategy for neighborhood revitalization.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 20. The first FIS program was implemented from 2009 to 2014 and targeted portions of the following neighborhoods: Marketview Heights, Beechwood, Dewey and Driving Park, and Jefferson Avenue.
The meeting will be held at the Rundel Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Avenue. BY TIM LOUIS MACALUSO
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Task force releases zombie properties report
Posted By Jeremy Moule on Thu, Oct 13, 2016 at 12:00 PM
The Monroe County task force on zombie properties issued its first round of recommendations for local, state, and federal governments and agencies today.
Members of the Task Force on Vacant and Abandoned Properties laid out the recommendations during a press conference. The suggestions focus on three areas:
Bello formed the task force earlier this year after Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed him to the vacant clerk seat. The idea grew out of Bello's experience as Irondequoit supervisor: he and other town officials implemented a vacant and abandoned property registry. They learned that the town had hundreds of the properties.
"This was one of the single most concerning and frustrating problems facing homeowners," Bello says.
Members of the Task Force on Vacant and Abandoned Properties laid out the recommendations during a press conference. The suggestions focus on three areas:
- Prevention of vacancies;
- Identification and maintenance of vacant properties;
- Rehabilitation of vacant properties.
Bello formed the task force earlier this year after Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed him to the vacant clerk seat. The idea grew out of Bello's experience as Irondequoit supervisor: he and other town officials implemented a vacant and abandoned property registry. They learned that the town had hundreds of the properties.
"This was one of the single most concerning and frustrating problems facing homeowners," Bello says.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Fringe Festival gets a new name
Posted By Rebecca Rafferty on Wed, Oct 5, 2016 at 1:01 PM
The First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival has rebranded as the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival; the announcement follows a merger between two KeyCorp entities.
“There’s much more to the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival than a sponsorship,” said James Barger, president of KeyBank’s Rochester market, at a press conference this morning. “The Fringe will continue to be a catalyst to support our community’s growth and revitalization, and we’re thrilled to play our part in helping to make that happen.”
The 10-day festival drew a record 67,000 attendees this year, sold out 115 shows, and earned more than $400,000 in ticket sales, said Erica Fee, Fringe co-founder and executive producer.
Fee also announced that Fringe will return September 14-23, 2017. Stay informed by following Fringe on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and watch for updates on when show submissions open for 2017.
“There’s much more to the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival than a sponsorship,” said James Barger, president of KeyBank’s Rochester market, at a press conference this morning. “The Fringe will continue to be a catalyst to support our community’s growth and revitalization, and we’re thrilled to play our part in helping to make that happen.”
The 10-day festival drew a record 67,000 attendees this year, sold out 115 shows, and earned more than $400,000 in ticket sales, said Erica Fee, Fringe co-founder and executive producer.
Fee also announced that Fringe will return September 14-23, 2017. Stay informed by following Fringe on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and watch for updates on when show submissions open for 2017.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
[UPDATED] Feds say fee waivers violated the law
Posted By Jeremy Moule on Tue, Oct 4, 2016 at 3:29 PM
This post has been updated with comments from County Executive and former county Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo, a Republican, as well as former County Clerk Patricia McCarthy, a Democrat.
The County Clerk's Office, under now-County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, violated federal law by waiving passport fees, says a US Department of State official.
Current County Clerk Adam Bello publicly disclosed the waivers recently, though he wouldn't say who received them. Federal confidentiality laws prevented him from saying who received passport waivers, he said, though in one case 15 members of the same family received the discounts.
Bello reached out to the Department of State for an opinion on the waivers. Jonathan Rolbin, director of the Department of State's Office of Legal Affairs and its law enforcement liaison, sent a letter yesterday to County Attorney Michael Davis informing him of the determination. The Department of State letter (attached below) doesn't say what the county is supposed to do about the waivers, however. Bello released the letter to reporters today.
Dinolfo issued the following statement this afternoon:
Patricia McCarthy, a Democrat who was county clerk from 1985 to 1993, issued a statement Thursday morning that contradicts Dinolfo's. The statement says:
The County Clerk's Office, under now-County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, violated federal law by waiving passport fees, says a US Department of State official.
Current County Clerk Adam Bello publicly disclosed the waivers recently, though he wouldn't say who received them. Federal confidentiality laws prevented him from saying who received passport waivers, he said, though in one case 15 members of the same family received the discounts.
Bello reached out to the Department of State for an opinion on the waivers. Jonathan Rolbin, director of the Department of State's Office of Legal Affairs and its law enforcement liaison, sent a letter yesterday to County Attorney Michael Davis informing him of the determination. The Department of State letter (attached below) doesn't say what the county is supposed to do about the waivers, however. Bello released the letter to reporters today.
Dinolfo issued the following statement this afternoon:
"During my tenure in the Clerk’s Office, concurrent with my record of returning over $30 million to taxpayers, I continued the longstanding policy that spanned over many County Clerk’s administrations of issuing fee waivers as a way to provide high level customer service. Now that the State Department has rendered clarification, it is my expectation that the current County Clerk will abide by them going forward."
Patricia McCarthy, a Democrat who was county clerk from 1985 to 1993, issued a statement Thursday morning that contradicts Dinolfo's. The statement says:
In response to recent assertions by former Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo that the practice of waiving execution fees for passports has been a longstanding tradition dating back to previous administrations, I would like to set the record straight, and unequivocally state waiving fees for certain individuals was not a practice we engaged in during my nine years (1985-1993) as Monroe County Clerk.
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