Cover Story
Next to paranormal
Ghost hunting isn’t just for movies and TV — real people do it, and they do it in Rochester. Get to know three area ghost-hunting groups
It’s Barack Obama, for the win
Good night for Dems overall, with Slaughter and O’Brien both winning hotly-contested races.
Ignoring climate warnings comes at a cost
New York City had warnings that, given a strong enough storm, parts of the city faced serious flooding. Superstorm Sandy made those predictions come true. Now, city officials and the federal government are talking about what they can do to prevent that sort of flooding in the future. Climate researchers project that sea levels will…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, November 6
MUSIC: I’ve seen the multi-Juno-Award-winning Tragically Hip twice before. Tonight the band will be at the Auditorium (875 E. Main St., 9 p.m., $39.50-$69.50, rbtl.org). This is one of the best-sounding “big rock” bands to grace the stage. The Canadian super group has a new platter in tow, “Now For Plan A,” it’s thirteenth in…
Runaway train station?
The New York State Department of Transportation has taken the intermodal station project off the City of Rochester’s hands, and city officials are wary. “Our concern is that we’ve invested a fair amount of time and effort in getting this design and this plan in place, and people are very attached to it,” says Mayor…
Week ahead: The election, Preservation Board session on West Main church, and LVW talk on Great Lakes protection
Tuesday is Election Day, so if you’re eligible, go vote. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Monroe County. City’s coverage of the various races throughout Monroe County is available here. Our endorsement of President Barack Obama is available here. All Monroe County registered voters can vote in the presidential, House, Senate,…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, November 5
KIDS: The Strong National Museum of Play (1 Manhattan Square) hosts a weekly Toddler Book Club, which is themed "Diego’s Animal Tales" this month in collaboration with the "Dora and Diego" exhibit. Drop in to story time at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., or 12:30 p.m. The event is included in museum fees ($13, free to…
Concert Review: ZZ Top at the Main Street Armory
Rochesterians love their synchronicity. And no, I’m not talking about the Ice Capades, I’m going on about ZZ Top, which delivered a primal killer-diller rock ’n’ roll display Friday night at The Main Street Armory for around 3,000 fans. The band strolled out onto a relatively sparse stage summa cum loud and immediately launched into…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday-Sunday, November 3-4
MUSIC: If you haven’t heard Fun.’s singles “We Are Young” or “Some Nights” then you live under a rock. The band will be back in town Sunday night at RIT (Gordon Field House, 8 p.m.), and tickets run $18-$32. Check http://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/cab/ for details. THEATER: The weather has officially turned on us, so you might be…
Fire chief announcement expected soon
The City of Rochester should have a new fire chief soon, says Mayor Tom Richards. In an interview this afternoon, Richards said he expects to announce a replacement for former Chief John Caufield shortly. Caufield left the department in the spring to become mid-Atlantic regional director of the National Fire Protection Association. He had been…
O’Brien leads Hanna in Siena poll
This morning, the Siena Research Institute released poll results that show Democrat Ted O’Brien ahead of Republican Sean Hanna in the state Senate’s 55th District. The poll results show that, of the 476 likely voters interviewed, 50 percent said they’d vote for O’Brien, while 39 percent said they’d vote for Hanna. On the issue of…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, November 2
FILMS: Movies opening today in wide release include “Flight,” “The Man with the Iron Fists,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” and “Fun Size.” The Dryden Theatre will show “Being There,” “Castle in the Sky,” “A Face in the Crowd,” “Hangs Up,” “The Wolfman,” and “You’ve Been Trumped.” Visit rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/movies for previews and reviews of films.
Vargas proposes $625 million second phase of schools upgrades
Superintendent Bolgen Vargas has recommended closing five schools: 16, 22, 25, 36, and 37.
Vargas should release report on building space tonight
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas is expected to release a draft of a new facilities master plan at a special board meeting tonight. Vargas called for the plan after numerous costly repairs required closing School 16. But the plan is also part of a larger concern. The district’s enrollment has steadily declined while its physical…
Slaughter re-opens 10-point lead over Brooks
With five days remaining before the election, incumbent Democrat Louise Slaughter has regained her 10 point lead over her Republican challenger, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, in the race for the 25th Congressional District, according to a new Siena poll out this morning. Brooks had narrowed the gap to about five points early last month.…
Now’s a good time to talk about FEMA cuts
During last night’s debate between Maggie Brooks and Louise Slaughter, WROC anchor Maureen McGuire asked the candidates whether, in light of Hurricane Sandy, they’d supporting cutting funding for or eliminating FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both candidates said they want to keep FEMA intact and preserve its funding. But Brooks’ response had another element;…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, November 1
DANCE: The UR Program of Dance and Movement will host a free workshop at Spurrier Dance Studio (Wilson Blvd., behind Susan B. Anthony dorm on University of Rochester River Campus) titled, “Journey through the Labyrinth,” tonight at 6:30 p.m. Get more info by calling 273-5150.
Slaughter and Brooks get testy
If you caught the first debate between incumbent Democrat Louise Slaughter and Republican Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, you didn’t miss much, since tonight’s round was more of the same. The only major difference was Brooks’ defensive posture on FEMA in light of the disaster superstorm Sandy inflicted on the New York City and New…
Fights return downtown
The Rochester Police Department and city and school district officials thought they found a way to stop young people from gathering to fight — or to watch a fight — in the Liberty Pole area downtown. Changes were made to the busing situation last year to reduce the number of young people downtown at peak…
Changes for Party in the Park?
The City of Rochester is shopping around for an outfit to produce and manage its Party in the Park summer concert series, even though the current contractor, The Springut Group, is “doing an excellent job,” says city spokesperson Gary Walker. The city wants to create more excitement around Party in the Park and to boost…
Fracking’s insurance issues
Environmental and economic issues have so far dominated New York’s discussion of high-volume hydraulic fracturing. But there are other issues to consider if state officials decide to green-light fracking, including the complex question of insurance. The State Assembly’s Insurance Committee has been studying the implications of fracking on homeowner, mortgage, and title insurance policies for…
ENDORSEMENT: For a just future: Barack Obama
In a very real sense, this year’s presidential election campaign has taken place in an artificial setting, the state of the nation viewed through tinted glasses, significant problems and challenges glossed over or ignored. It’s as if voters and candidates caught those problems, briefly, in their peripheral vision and then blinked, turned, and the problems…
CHOICE CONCERTS: 10/31-11/6
ACOUSTIC/FOLK | Maria Gillard Local songstress Maria Gillard isn’t a jazz artist per se, yet she dances around its fire close enough to burn. Hailing from the Finger Lakes region, Gillard has been on the scene for 25 years. She mixes jazz, folk, and the melodious expressions that fall in between. She has just released…
Webster challenges cap
The Webster Town Board will vote on whether to exceed the state property tax cap at a meeting on November 1. A public hearing precedes the vote. | Local governments in New York State have a 2 percent cap on their tax levies, unless they vote to override. | Webster plans to exceed the tax…
THEATER REVIEW: “Freud’s Last Session”
Historical fictions are tricky. On the one hand, using actual figures from history make it easier for an audience to invest in the characters — just about everyone has at least heard of, say, Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein (both featured in Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapine Agile”). On the other, these are real…
Urban Action 10/31
Marriage equality stands The Court of Appeals, New York’s top court, refused to hear an appeal challenging the state’s same-sex marriage law. The request to appeal was made by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom. The organization claimed that the State Senate failed to follow proper procedure when it passed the law. Fracking law stalls A…
COMEDY: Fall Back Comedy Fest
After the fright of Halloween, reengage your funny bone at the Fall Back Comedy Fest. The schedule includes both shows and workshops with tickets for individual events ranging from $5 to $10. The fest began on Tuesday, October 30, with a local showcase of comedy troupes, and will also include national comedians, improvisers, and musicians…
THEATER: Blue Man Group
When the term “blue man” is used, a few things may come to mind — Smurfs, Violet Beauregarde (the girl who gets turned into a rotund blueberry in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), or the Blue Man Group. The troupe of nearly neon blue-skinned men will make an unforgettable impression when seen for the first…
THEATER: “Franklin”
Even if you’re not a huge history buff, the drama and intrigue in David D. Reed’s new play “Franklin” is sure to grab your attention, even those who neglected their history textbooks in high school. The fact-based play traverses President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s personal and professional trials and tribulations, along with those of his wife,…
ART REVIEW: “Robin Germany: Watermark”
We are too tied to our own immediacy. That is the whisper that wafts off the work of Robin Germany, which is currently showing in an exhibit entitled “Watermark” at Hartnett Gallery at the University of Rochester. Full of quiet wonder and reverence, Germany’s images display the hidden minutiae just beyond the threshold of the…
SPORTS: Karate Championship
While I cannot boast to know much about karate, I found it intriguing to learn that different types of karate have different reputations for difficulty and prestige. Kyokushin karate, considered the world’s “strongest karate,” includes fighting bare knuckle, bare foot, and without any protective pads. On Saturday, November 3, Kyokushin Karate Fitness USA will host…
DINING REVIEW: Good Smoke BBQ
Around this time of year, I tend to pull my dog-eared copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s collected stories off the shelf, looking for something to send a chill up my spine. The plot of every one of the old hack’s stories is the same: some deeply troubled soul trying to warn an unsuspecting world of the…
SPECIAL EVENTS: Canstruction Rochester / Bountiful Bowls
Canned goods and art are not typically two things paired with one another — at least, outside of Andy Warhol’s infamous Campbell’s soup prints. However, Canstruction Rochester takes these seemingly unrelated objects and combines them into one entity to promote serving a greater good. Presented by Buckingham Properties, Canstruction Rochester’s 7th annual design-build competition will…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Cloud Atlas”
Whatever the success of their various ventures, the Wachowski brothers seldom settle for the tried and the true in their approach to cinema. “The Matrix,” probably still their best known work, demonstrates some genuine originality and, rarely, some real meaning in contemporary science fiction’s familiar bag of stunts and special effects. If the two sequels…
Feedback 10/31
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. We edit selections for publication in print. Cluster bombs in Syria Cluster bombs used recently in Syria were identified as a type of Soviet design. Silence was deafening in the US government; as a producer and…
MOVIE REVIEW: “You’ve Been Trumped”
With Donald Trump making headlines this week, the Dryden’s screening of Anthony Baxter’s documentary, “You’ve Been Trumped,” couldn’t be more timely. Chronicling the 2010 battle of wills between the billionaire tycoon and residents of the small Scottish coastal community of Aberdeenshire, which started after Trump announced plans to build a golf resort atop the area’s…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Chasing Mavericks”
Another film based around the subject of mere mortals engaged in an epic battle against an enormous, cold, and uncaring force of nature, “Chasing Mavericks” chronicles the life of legendary surfer Jay Moriarty. What results is basically “The Karate Kid,” with surfing instead of martial arts – complete with a role for Elisabeth Shue (though…
MUSIC INTERVIEW: ZZ Top
ZZ Top has established itself as its own genre that supersedes just rock ‘n’ roll and the blues. “La Futura” is the hirsute hipster trio’s new Rick Rubin-produced platter, and it’s the group’s first studio album in nine years. It’s classic ZZ Top with a smoldering tone, swaggering back beat, and Frigidaire cool. At the…
