Obama pushes for aggressive net neutrality policies
President Barack Obama says that he wants broadband Internet service treated just like other utilities, such as land-line telephones and electricity. Yesterday, Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission to reclassify broadband under Title II of the federal Telecommunications Act. That would give broadband providers “common carrier” status, and would impose certain key regulations with…
Untangling the 2014 election results
The election was influenced by a mishmash of national and state issues, the appeal of individual candidates, and low turnout — all of which resulted in a Republican wave.
Film Review: “Whiplash”
Typically in films of the “inspirational teacher” genre, the celebrated, unconventional instructors that inspire their pupils to reach greatness do so by kindly reaching out to their young students, instilling in them a lifelong love of learning through their sheer passion for teaching. In “Whiplash,” Terence Fletcher, the tyrannical music teacher played with gleeful relish…
Film Review: “On the Side of the Road”
Screening as a part of the Witness Palestine film series, “On the Side of the Road” is a documentary by Israeli journalist Lia Tarachansky probing into the collective Israeli denial about the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians in the wake of the 1948 war for independence. Referred to by the Palestinian people as the Nakba,…
Week Ahead: Brooks budget; Comcast merger verdict; Slaughter-Assini decision; much more
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks will release her 2015 budget proposal sometime this week — possibly at Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting. The county charter says she has to present it on or before November 15. Brooks has said little about the proposal, which is not unusual. It’ll probably account for around $1 billion in spending…
Film Review: “Interstellar”
Any intrepid voyager through the vast space of science fiction should recognize the origins and context of Christopher Nolan’s new movie, “Interstellar.” The picture owes a great deal to all those contemporary doomsday flicks, along with some special debts to the “Star Trek” series and the landmark Stanley Kubrick film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Its…
Concert Review: “Pepys’ Pajamas” by Pegasus Early Music
Literature and music commingled pleasingly in the most recent Pegasus Early Music concert, given last Sunday afternoon at Downtown United Presbyterian Church. The program, “Pepys’ Pajamas,” was inspired by the Restoration-era diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703). An ambitious politician and general man-about-London, Pepys kept a diary for less than a decade (1660 to 1669). But it…
Question Bridge discussion: recap from Wednesday, November 5, and Friday, November 7
Last week, Rochester Contemporary Art Center hosted two discussions based on the on-going exhibit “Question Bridge: Black Males.” On Wednesday, November 5, Lloyd Holmes, Vice President for Student Services at Monroe Community College, hosted Shelitha Williams, professor of African-American Studies at MCC, and Marcus Watts and Verdis Robinson of MCC Student Services. Holmes started off…
Report says red-light cameras effective at reducing accidents, violations
Collisions at city intersections with red-light cameras have been reduced by 26 percent since the camera program began in 2010, says a report just released by the City of Rochester. Collisions involving disregard for traffic-control devices have dropped 78 percent, the report says. And red-light camera violations have dropped 30 percent since the time that…
Study assesses child care subsidies in Monroe County
The need for child day care subsidies is growing locally and the availability of the subsidies is dwindling. Yet Monroe County is serving a higher percentage and number of eligible children than other urban counties in New York, outside of New York city. Child care subsidies are the subject of a Center for Governmental Research…
A note from City’s editors
Earlier today we posted a story about the Rochester City School District and the professional evaluations of its high school principals. In that story, we reported that central office administrators consciously documented false information. That is an inaccurate statement, and we apologize. Regarding the rest of the story: there is a disagreement between the leadership…
New teachers face a hostile environment
Out of the roughly 150 people who attended a community forum last night called “Why Would Anybody Want to be a Teacher Today?” more than half were students from area colleges preparing to enter the tumultuous world of public education. The forum was put on by Writers & Books and partners. The data on new…
WEDNESDAY EVENING UPDATE: Slaughter holding on to slight lead
UPDATE: The next batch of absentee ballots has been counted and Slaughter is, so far, holding on to her lead. As of 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, November 3, Slaughter leads Assini 95,289 to 94,638. That’s a difference of 651 votes, which means that Slaughter has extended her ever-so-slight lead. Another batch of absentees won’t be…
Close race with Slaughter introduces Mark Assini to the nation
Let’s a step back for a second and take a look at the Mark Assini-Louise Slaughter race. As of this moment, we’re still not sure who won.
Young adults love cities? Will Rochester benefit?
If reports in the media are accurate, suburbs are losing their appeal for a key demographic, at least in some parts of the country. A lot of well-educated young adults are growing disenchanted with the uniformity and separateness of the suburbs. They prefer the denseness, activity, and convenience that cities offer. If that’s truly a…
MUSEUM | The National Toy Hall of Fame Celebration Weekend
In addition to announcing what object of creative affection will be the inductee to the National Toy Hall of Fame, the induction Celebration Weekend will feature the opportunity to check out some of the previously inducted toys, such as the jigsaw puzzle (2002) and the cardboard box (no really, 2005). The event will take place…
Let’s talk turkeys in Brighton
Brighton Supervisor Bill Moehle was tending to town business on Runnymede Road a few months ago when he spied turkeys in a nearby yard. Turkeys are a pretty common sight in the neighborhoods between Elmwood Avenue and Westfall Road, he says. In fact, the birds are well-represented in Brighton as a whole, though nonresidents most…
ART | New exhibit openings roundup
A fresh, new month means fresh, new exhibits hosted by artist studios, galleries, and alternative spaces. Here are a few key picks, but for a full list, visit firstfridayrochester.org and check out the art openings section of City’s calendar in this issue or at rochestercitynewspaper.com. A Different Path Gallery (27 Market Street, Brockport) will present…
CLASSICAL | Rochester Flute Fair
The Rochester Flute Association’s annual Flute Fair always features a famous guest artist, and the 2014 edition’s is Robert Langevin, the principal flute of the New York Philharmonic. Langevin will perform in recital with pianist Irina Lupines on Friday, November 7, in Hochstein Performance Hall. The program includes music by Schumann, Debussy, Strauss, and Jacques…
EVENT | Animal Art Expo
Seneca Park Zoo will host its annual 21-and-older fundraiser, the Animal Art Expo, on Saturday, November 8, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Held in the Z.O.T Zone of the zoo, guests will be able to bid on artwork painted by animals at the zoo. Proceeds from the expo will go to conservation efforts, zoo…
OPERA | Eastman Opera Theatre presents Albert Herring
Beginning Thursday, November 6, the Eastman Opera Theatre will present “Albert Herring,” a comedic opera about an innocent young British man who sets out to lose his virginity immediately after being crowned May King. Written by famed writer Benjamin Britten, “Albert Herring” is a witty satire of British small-town attitudes that explores themes of societal…
FILM | Rocks in My Pockets
Depression is, as one might imagine, a rather difficult subject to make humorous. But miraculously, Latvian-born director Signe Baumane does exactly that in her witty, new film, “Rocks in My Pockets,” showing this Wednesday at The Little Theatre. Utilizing a combination of papier-mâché stop-motion and classic hand-drawn animation, Baumane weaves a personal tale that explores…
ROCK | Antemasque
Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez might sometimes forget which moniker they are performing under. The two have gone through tenures with At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta together, and their latest project, Antemasque, proves the third band’s the charm. The prog-rock sound is still in full force, with Bixler’s Geddy Lee-esque vocals and Rodriguez’s…
FILM | Andy Warhol’s Sexy Silent Films
Andy Warhol was one of those tirelessly prolific individuals whose bottomless oeuvre we never seem to fully exhaust. For example, a special cluster-screening of “Andy Warhol’s Sexy Silent Films” — which I didn’t even know existed — will be presented at the Hawkins Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library (University of Rochester River Campus), on…
KIDS | Lucky Diaz
Indie rock has gained a ton of steam in the 2000’s, and now there are even indie rock bands for kids. Lucky Diaz and the Family Band is one of them, but the Latin Grammy award-winning group is definitely in a different echelon than other kids bands. It has easily accessible topics for the kids…
COMEDY | Alonzo Bodden
Before launching into stand-up comedy, and breaking out after performing at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and winning season three of “Last Comic Standing,” Alonzo Bodden taught aircraft mechanics. The comedian studied aerospace in school and became a licensed aircraft mechanic — he has said that the comedy started when he tried to make…
CLASSICAL | RPO performs Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Kodaly
This week, Christoph Konig will guest conduct the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through a program of Brahms’s Third Symphony, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 — composed when Rachmaninoff was only 18 — and Kodaly’s “Dances of Galanta.” Brahms’s Third Symphony will most-likely be familiar to listeners for its soulful, sweeping melodies — especially its third movement,…
THEATER | “King Lear”
There are plays, and there are tragic plays, and then there’s “King Lear.” Bernard Shaw considered Shakespeare’s play the greatest tragedy ever written, and most scholars, audiences, actors, and directors would agree. Its bitter, pessimistic view of kingship, family relations, and life in general casts a long shadow; it is also one of the most…
ZYDECO | Mo’ Mojo
The Akron, Ohio-based Mo’ Mojo describes itself as a “Party-Gras” band, and it’s pretty accurate. Akron is about 1,000 miles from the heart of Louisiana, but Mo’ Mojo gets that high-energy, can’t-stop-moving Zydeco just right. Building on some solid traditional Zydeco, Mo’ Mojo brings in a little Americana, rock ‘n’ roll, and some New Orleans…
THEATER | “The Sorcerer”
Writer W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan were still a new team when they produced “The Sorcerer” in 1877; they went on to worldwide hits like “H.M.S. Pinafore” and “The Mikado,” but this early work retains its charm. The story is thoroughly Gilbertian: a young man enlists the help of a sorcerer to give a…
Amanda Lee Peers
With a voice akin to a plaintive purr or a growl, singer-songwriter Amanda Lee Peers is a compelling force of nature. The permeating pulchritude of her scrambled hair and vibrant smile doesn’t hurt either. But I’m telling you, it’s that voice and it’s dangerous, yet honeyed toned. Peers is the perfect blend of pop hook…
“Infinity Boxes” by Matt Elson
For a limited time, Memorial Art Gallery is hosting several installations starring your face and mine. Peer inside each of nine “Infinity Boxes,” created by L.A.-based artist Matt Elson, and your countenance temporarily becomes part of a kaleidoscopic, optical illusion created by carefully positioned mirrors, lights, flowers, candles, and other bits of pretty interest. Four…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Blue”
Mostly Other People Do The Killing “Blue” Hot Cup Hotcuprecords.com Mostly Other People Do The Killing is a band whose name is indicative of its radical nature, so “Blue,” a new rendition of Miles Davis’ landmark 1959 album, “Kind Of Blue,” might not seem in character. But MOPDTK is not just putting its own spin…
PUSH Physical Theatre
Darren and Heather Stevenson, co-producers of PUSH Physical Theatre, have been asked more than once whether they wanted their extreme-movement, physical performance company to appear on national television (“America’s Got Talent” has called several times). But this is the first time they’ve accepted. PUSH is currently appearing in the reality competition show “Fake Off,” a…
CHOW HOUND: Branching out
Branca, Solera anniversary, and more
The Rochester Polish Film Festival 2014 Preview
The Rochester Polish Film Festival returns for its 17th annual chapter this week, offering a program of interesting, thought-provoking films that make up the best of what contemporary Polish cinema has to offer. The Festival officially started Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2, with screenings of two classic Polish films; this week begins the…
Good souls: Cemetery care often falls to volunteers
Peggy Byrd crosses a thick mat of grass in Mount Hope Cemetery on her way to a large monument next to a tight row of small headstones. One of the stones is engraved, “Margaret Van Ingen Weston 1902-1990.” “There’s my Aunt [Margaret],” Byrd says. “By just going into the cemetery office and asking where my…
FOLK POP | Oh, Cassius!
Blending haunting vocal harmonies with acoustic guitar and percussion, Oh, Cassius! sounds both familiar and new. The duo trots into Rochester off the energy of its debut EP, “On Such A Full Sea Are We Now Afloat,” released October 14. Shortly into “Carpenter,” the first track on the EP, you might hear vocals reminiscent of…
Feedback 11/5
Send comments 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, and we edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Rochester gets sharrows wrong I read with interest the…
The D&C’s new newsroom
By December, the Democrat and Chronicle’s newsroom should be completely reorganized. News staff will have new titles and job descriptions, as well as reconfigured beats. But it’s not entirely clear what this new newsroom will look like and how the D&C’s web and print products may change. And it is unclear how many staff members,…
Urban Action 11/5
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Public hearing on low-wage work The Rochester Labor Council and Metro Justice will sponsor “Fair Wages for Fair Work,” a two-day public hearing. The hearing’s first session is from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30…
