Cover Story
Reining in rural sprawl
Lima is at a crossroads, literally and figuratively. The village of approximately 2,100 people got its start as a stop on a well-traveled cross-state road, a section of which is the modern Routes 5 and 20. A village landmark from the era, the American Hotel, still sits at the corner of that corridor and what’s…
Brooks releases 2014 budget proposal
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks says that her $1 billion-plus budget proposal for 2014 would keep the tax rate flat at 8.99 per $1,000 assessed value. During tonight’s meeting of the County Legislature, Brooks gave legislators an overview of her proposal, and it’ll be a surprise to few that she led her presentation with the…
![[UPDATED] Senior housing slated for the Eastman Dental Dispensary](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/eastmandentaldispensary_sidebar.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Senior housing slated for the Eastman Dental Dispensary
UPDATE, November 14, 2013, 9:20 a.m.: Nelson Leenhouts, chair of Home Leasing LLC, says that the “very preliminary” plan is to renovate the Dental Dispensary for 57 senior apartments. The apartments would be for high- and medium-income senior citizens, he says. Financing has not yet been secured for the project, he says. “We have a…
Dems call for local development corp reforms
County Legislature Democrats held a press conference this morning to lay out a package of eight reforms they say will help prevent malfeasance at county-affiliated local development corporations.
Brooks unveiling budget today
Much of the news coming out of the Monroe County government lately has focused on the state Attorney General’s Office probe into local development corporations. But today, County Executive Maggie Brooks will take care of a bit of routine county business. Brooks will unveil her 2014 budget proposal to the County Legislature at 6 p.m. today. …
Commissioner King gets an earful on education
The Affordable Care Act’s disastrous rollout may not be the Democrats’ only problem in the 2014 elections. Dissatisfaction with the Obama administration’s education reforms is growing, and anger is building at the local level. State Education Commissioner John King, during a public forum held in Brighton last week, heard dozens of parents, teachers, and students…
![[UPDATED] WEEK AHEAD: More LDC action, Krenzers fight for their farm, downtown master plan](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/andrewscarrie_sidebar.webp?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] WEEK AHEAD: More LDC action, Krenzers fight for their farm, downtown master plan
The boards for the two local development corporations at the center of an attorney general’s office investigation will hold special meetings early this week. Both meetings are open to the public, though the boards will probably go into closed sessions. The Upstate Telecommunications Corporation board will meet at 1 p.m. today (Monday, November 11) at…
Perinton’s crowd-sourced wrecking crew
For the past decade – probably longer – a former gas station at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Fairport Road in Perinton has sat idle and vacant. It’s an eyesore on a busy corridor in the town, one that leads straight into the village of Fairport. On Saturday, the building is coming down. And…
Concert Review: RPO Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
Thursday night, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performed under the fourth guest conductor of the season, Christoph Campestrini, in a performance that included orchestral works by Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky and a piano concerto by Mozart that featured pianist Barry Snyder. Russian composers have the ability to take you with them as they rake their souls across…
Video Game Review: Pokemon X/Y
You can’t make everyone happy. And when it comes to Pokemon games — especially the most recent Nintendo 3DS’s iterations “Pokemon X” and “Pokemon Y” — it rings very true indeed. Even the game (I played Y for this review) seems to realize this in its moments of meta awareness. Instead of starting out your…
Wiesner addresses LDC charges
Robert Wiesner says that he is the target of a political prosecution. During a press conference this afternoon, Wiesner and his attorney, James Nobles, addressed the two felony charges filed against Wiesner by the state Attorney General’s Office. The charges became public yesterday when a judge unsealed an indictment, which also charged three other people. The…
Warren and peace with RCSD
The results of the general election could be a turning point for the Rochester City School District. Voters may have set in motion a yin-yang approach to the city’s education problems — a dynamic that could prove beneficial. Or they may have unwittingly set the stage for a political battle between the district and the…
Brooks, Vacco address LDC probe
During a press conference held late Wednesday afternoon, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said that the two county-affiliated local development corporations at the center of a state Attorney General’s investigation will sever their ties with their key contractor, Navitech. The company’s founders and owners, John Maggio and Daniel Lynch, were arrested and arraigned yesterday on…
![[UPDATED] Brooks’ husband nabbed in LDC probe](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/dsc0232_2_.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Brooks’ husband nabbed in LDC probe
Charges were lodged today against four individuals with connections to local development corporations linked to Monroe County.
Feedback 11/6
We welcome your comments. Send them to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. For our print edition, we select comments from all three sources; those of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in…
FABULOUSNESS | Miss Gay Rochester Pageant
Will Miss Olympia La’Paige maintain her reign, or will the kingdom of Rochester kneel for a new mistress of glamour in 2014? Find out on Sunday, November 10, at the 42nd Annual Miss Gay Rochester Pageant (that’s right, it’s been going since 1972!). The event will take place at Harro East Ballroom (155 N. Chestnut…
Penfield may privatize plowing
The Town of Penfield may start using a private contractor to plow some of the town’s subdivisions in the winter. The rest of the plowing would still be done by Penfield’s public works employees. Officials want to know if the move would save money, says Town Supervisor Tony LaFountain, through reductions in overtime and equipment…
RECREATION | Rowing Classes
Don’t let the increasingly frigid temperatures take away the equally fun and physically grueling workout of rowing. Starting Thursday, November 7, Genesee Rowing Club begins the first of three indoor rowing programs that will take place over the coming winter. Sure, you could use one of those rowing simulator machines at your gym, but why…
Urban Action 11/6
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Film about US immigration policy The Rochester Committee on Latin America will present “Hope Travels Without a Visa,” a talk by Nelson Portillo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6. Portillo will discuss…
SPECIAL EVENT | “Sweet Creations” Gingerbread House Display
You may not be able to catch the Gingerbread Man, but you can exact some sweet revenge by taking the little rascal’s house. Starting Wednesday, November 13, the George Eastman House (900 East Ave.) will be holding its 18th Annual “Sweet Creations” Gingerbread House Display. Dozens of the best houses gingerbread architecture has to offer…
Greece and the Supremes
When I was in seventh grade, math class in our public school opened the same way every Monday: with the teacher asking us to raise our hand if we had gone to Sunday school and church the day before. Good little girl that I was, I went to Sunday school and church every week. So…
“Ender’s Game”
The ambiguity of its title reflects some of the same quality in the content of “Ender’s Game.” Ender Wiggin, the protagonist and intermittent narrator, plays numerous advanced versions of video games throughout the movie, some of them forming an integral part of the action; at the same time, as the script puns on his name,…
Career zone for a high school
Sheldon Cooper, 15, says he’s thinking about following in his mother’s footsteps. He wants to attend Georgia State University to pursue a career in health care, he says, perhaps as a nurse — like his mom. But he also loves cars and boxing. His friend and classmate, Tony Bermudez, 15, says he wants to attend…
2013 Polish Film Festival
The Rochester Polish Film Festival, sponsored by the University of Rochester’s Skalny Center For Polish and Central European Studies, celebrates its 16th incarnation this year. The festival will be screening eight feature-length films, along with two shorts, at the Little Theatre (though Opening Night selection “Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir” will screen at the Dryden…
Highland Market’s new life
Owner Danny Stefanou says that he intends to reinvent the Highland Market in the South Wedge as the go-to place for quick and easy access to fresh, healthy foods. Stefanou has owned the market at the corner of Linden and South avenues for more than 30 years, leasing it out for the last 21 years.…
Bluegrass | Third Presbyterian Chancel Choir
In a unique pairing, the 60-voice, classically-oriented Third Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir joins a five-piece bluegrass band to present “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” this weekend. The composition is by American composer Carol Barnett, libretto by Marisha Chamberlain. Director of Music Peter DuBois will lead the Chancel Choir and bluegrass musicians on guitar, mandolin,…
CHOW HOUND: Rise and dine
UPDATED 11/8/13 to reflect new date for Owl House event. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and its clear-cut identity, one that typically involves perfectly cooked eggs, fluffy pancakes, and crisp bacon, might be the reason it’s the only meal with actual, devoted fans. Take Ed Schram, for instance. “I…
Broadway Musicals | Eastman Opera Theatre
Who doesn’t need a little happy ending? “She Loves Me” is being presented by the Eastman Opera Theatre, with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. It’s an adaptation of the play “Parfumerie” by Hungarian playwright Miklós László and it has the familiarity of a storyline like “You’ve Got Mail.” Coworkers constantly at…
THEATER REVIEW: RBTL’s “War Horse”
The touring production of “War Horse,” which runs through Sunday at the Auditorium Theatre, brings one of the most distinctive Broadway events of recent years to Rochester. “War Horse” started as a popular young people’s book by Michael Morpurgo, then became a play by Nick Stafford for the National Theatre of Great Britain, which produced…
Pop/Rock | The Spampinato Brothers
The accolades are plentiful, the resume, bountiful. From Jazzfest Berlin to the Grand Ole Opry to “The Simpsons,” Joey and Johnny Spampinato have lived an interesting career as members of the legendary roots band NRBQ. As The Spampinato Brothers, they continue to shoehorn every type of roots music into a cacophonous blast of bar room…
Early musick for an eager publick
When Deborah Fox first decided to study lute in Rochester in the 1980’s, she had a tough time of it and ended up studying privately. Fast forward a couple of decades or so, and Deborah Fox is pleasantly surprised to find herself not only a busy professional lutenist, but also the director of a very…
Acoustic/Folk | Vance Gilbert
Vance Gilbert’s finger style guitar playing is as storied as his lyrics; telling tales of where his sound began. It’s certainly not cluttered, but it’s a far cry from the old folksy down and up. And the man’s voice — a gut wrenched, emotionally drenched tenor — serves as a salve to his acerbic rapid-fire…
“Julius Caesar”
The current production of “Julius Caesar” at MuCCC marks two milestones for Rochester Community Players and its Shakespeare Players shingle. It is the start of the 20th season for the Shakespeare Players. (It’s worth noting that the company’s Shakespeare offerings have only increased in recent years, including the return of its Shakespeare for Young Audiences…
Pop/Rock | Young Galaxy
Early in 2013, Canadian quintet Young Galaxy released its fourth album, “Ultramarine,” one which ultimately landed itself high on the short list of Polaris Prize nominees announced midyear. Featured on the album is song of the year candidate “Pretty Boy,” an astounding opening track and perfect introduction to the band’s superlative electro-pop. Front woman Catherine McCandless…
FILM | “Dirty Wars”
America’s activity in the world is complex and shadowy, with compartmentalized access to information and bought-and-paid-for media outlets. Too few genuine journalists exist, who take it upon themselves to pursue answers, and to drag the truth, kicking and screaming, into the light of day. These heroic people find little support and are in danger even…
Americana | Joshua Powell & The Great Train Robbery
Indiana-based Joshua Powell & the Great Train Robbery embraces an Americana-based sound: a genre that is well-known for lyrics infused with both strong storytelling and togetherness. Combined with that knack is a true affinity for Southern rock and roll, oftentimes employed to electrify a typically placid sound. On the recently released “Man Is Born for Trouble,”…
THEATER | “Calamari Sisters”
The Calamari Sisters are back with another show, and like their other ones this should be put on your don’t-miss list. Equal parts drag-show and cooking-show parody, the Calamari Sisters musicals have been getting rave reviews wherever they go. Since the sisters got married in their last show, and the new show is called “Bun…
DJ/Electronic | Riddims and Rollers
It boggles my mind that jungle — and drum and bass for slightly more civilized folks — is twenty years old. The uniquely British hybrid of hardcore techno’s speed and aggression, steely break beats and Jamaican sound system traditions has always sounded to me like a glimpse into an exotic sci-fi future. Two crews, Sidewalk Events and Riled…
SPECIAL EVENT | Canandaigua Treaty Day
On Monday, November 11, representatives from the Six Nations and the United States will commemorate the 219th anniversary of the “living” federal treaty between the area’s original Native American inhabitants and the United States. Public events will be led by Master of Ceremonies Peter Jemison, manager of the Ganondagan State Historic Site. At 1:30 p.m.,…
Cherie Currie
In 1975 an all-teenage-girl band was basically unheard of. Sure, there were female artists kicking around. But for the most part they were plugged into bands with dudes. Enter The Runaways: brash, ballsy, raw, rocking, and all female. The band was formed by drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett after producer and rock ‘n’…
Inside TEDxRochester 2013
Welcome to the first day of our post-election season, Rochester. Our neighborhoods are littered with candidate signs and unwanted mailers, and the rhetoric-laden commercials have returned to other people trying to sell you other things. The coming days will be filled with analyzing the results and their meaning for us, with abundant arguments and fist-shaking.…
Lovely Warren wins mayor’s race
Also: results for City Council, school board, and select suburban races.
