Faced
with a house that was overflowing with stuff from the household and estate
sales she haunts, Joanne Marvin grabbed her best friend (and fellow pack-rat)
Sarahjane Moriarity and rented a Park Avenue storefront for a month to “purge”
some items. “We’re now into our second year,” Joanne says.
           Thus began Utter Clutter.
           “Everything is second-hand,” says
Marvin, “but please don’t call us a junk shop. We’re a step above. We feature
eclectica. We coined that word. It means all the items that make something
eclectic.”
           The two women met, fittingly, at a
household sale 10 years ago. They quickly became friends, sharing a need to
collect things, and an inability to throw anything away. “I love standing in
the store and looking at things that were once part of my life,” Moriarity
says. “It’s a continuum of an item moving from one person to me to someone
else. I hope it’s never thrown away.”
           You don’t so much shop at Utter
Clutter as experience it and the women are definitely part of the experience.
Their conversation is rapid-fire, and they usually finish each other’s
sentences. Here’s how they described what’s in their store:
           Marvin: “You can’t see it all in one
stop…” Moriarity: “…like at a mall.” Marvin: “I told him: one of a kind.”
Moriarity: “If we don’t have it…” Marvin: “We’ll find it for you.” Moriarity:
“We’ll root through the attic.” Marvin: “We’re not a costume shop.” Moriarity:
“We cater to pop-kitsch.” Marvin: “I explained that.” Moriarity: “Kitsch.”
Marvin: “Irreverent.” Moriarity: “Religious.” Marvin: “Irreverent religious.”
           They’re currently auctioning a
Charles Manson record. But don’t rush over to bid on it. The auction, says
Moriarity, is “open-ended.”
           Like the items they sell, their
customers (or “company”) are eclectic. “Everything from drag queens to
doctors,” Marvin says. “Geeks, freaks, and uniques. One of our customers came
up with that. I love the people here. That’s what I really love about the
business… the people.”
           Utter
Clutter, 121 Park Avenue, is open weekdays from 12 to 7 p.m., Saturdays and
Sundays from 12 to 5 p.m. 271-1130.
—
Joseph Sorrentino
A
worthy cause?
Kodak
is now asking its employees to volunteer contributions to a lobbying force
called the Eastman Kodak Employee
Political Action Committee (KodaPAC). This group supports political
candidates for federal and state office who are sensitive to Kodak’s concerns.
According to Kodak’s intranet, these are politicians who “understand our
business concerns and share an interest in our issues.”
           The intranet assures employees that
contributing is both voluntary and in their best interest. But the language of
the pitch sounds curiously like Kodak is suggesting its employees fund lobbying
measures that will deregulate job exportation.
           For instance, the intranet states
that KodaPAC’s “Big Picture” goal is to “Facilitate the
effective management of Kodak’s diverse global workforce, by fostering
government policies which give Kodak the flexibility to fairly and efficiently
manage its workforce in the US and abroad.”
           According to Corporate Media
Relations manager Jim Blamphin, KodaPAC’s goal is to “promote company
growth.”
           “What is growth? Jobs. We have
a global workforce,” he says. “It’s secondary, where those jobs are
located.” While he cites several examples of jobs being moved from cities
overseas back into the United States, the fact remains that “fairly and
efficiently managing” an international workforce may encompass reduced
restrictions on outsourcing.
           Stephen Ciccone, director and vice
president of public affairs, denies that KodaPAC’s goal is to expand Kodak’s
workforce overseas.
           Because corporations are not legally
allowed to make campaign contributions, they often encourage the formations of
groups like KodaPAC. Through KodaPAC, Kodak can promote its political agenda
— to “reduce current costs and avoid new costs by seeking significant
reductions in Kodak’s tax and tariff burden, reduce the cost of compliance with
existing government regulations and mandates, and oppose the introduction of
new mandates or regulations” — through the contributions of willing
employees.
Mr.
Smith goes to Washington? Maybe
Another
entry in the 29th Congressional District race. Monroe County legislatorBill
Smith made it official last week.
           Smith, a Republican, was elected to
the lej in 1996. He represents Pittsford and East Rochester. He was named
majority leader in 2001.
           It is his experience in the lej,
Smith says, that makes him the top candidate to succeed Congressman Amo
Houghton. Houghton is stepping down this year.
           Smith pointed to economic
development and job growth as crucial issues in the 29th District.
           He faces competition from
Republicans Mark Assini, a fellow county legislator; Rochester businessman
Geoffrey Rosenberger; state Senator Randy Kuhl of Hammondsport; and Bill Nojay,
chairman of the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority.
           State Assemblyman Brian Kolb of
Canandaigua is expected to announce this week whether he’ll join the race —
but he has been talking like a candidate.
           A May 20 convention will narrow the
field of Monroe County Republican candidates to one.
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2004.
