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Winter Guide 2015
Now that we’re past the holidays — and maybe you’re still trying to stick to those New Year’s resolutions — what is there to look forward to until spring? More snow? The strategic battle against frostbite? We say there’s still quite a bit to be excited about during the first few months of 2015. Rochesterians…
Reed bill would compensate property owners for fracking ban
The way that House Representative Tom Reed sees it, the state’s decision to ban fracking has deprived some Southern Tier property owners from realizing the full potential of their land. And he’s said that the state should compensate those landowners for the money they could have made by leasing their land to drilling companies. Now,…
Film Review: “A Most Violent Year”
Still early in his career, director J.C. Chandor has cemented his status as a filmmaker to watch. So far he’s already made three excellent — and wildly different — films: From his debut with the financial thriller “Margin Call” (which nabbed him an Oscar nomination for writing), to the nearly dialogue-free survival drama, “All is…
Film Review: “Force Majeure”
Our preconceived notions of gender roles are given a harsh bit of scrutiny in Swedish writer-director Ruben Östlund’s bracing, darkly satirical “Force Majeure.” Focusing on a family on holiday at a ski resort in the French Alps, the films deftly morphs into an uncomfortably funny portrait of a marriage in crisis. At first glance, Tomas…
WEEK AHEAD: Public forum on city schools’ budget gap; beyond the Inner Loop; food truck meeting
The Rochester City School District will hold an open house to discuss the current budget gap — estimated at more than $40 million for the 2015-2016 school year. The event is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, at the Montessori Academy on the Freddie Thomas Campus, 625 Scio Street. The Friends and Foundation of…
Film Review: “Cake”
Jennifer Aniston’s surprisingly long and crowded career, which really began with the successful television show “Friends,” includes a variety of roles in some occasionally unusual movies. Although she has mostly starred in chick flicks and romantic comedies (probably a result of typecasting created by the TV series), she has also played a few unusual parts,…
Cost concerns about renovating School No. 16
It took many months for residents and parents in the 19th Ward to convince Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas to save School No. 16 — the school is closed until renovations can be done. And they got Vargas to include No. 16 in the second phase of the district’s massive $1.2 billion school building modernization plan.…
Cuomo to teachers: Who are we kidding?
Most pols love industries. The more the better. They offer them tax breaks and other perks in the hope that they’ll create jobs. But Governor Andrew Cuomo made it clear in his State of the State speech yesterday that there’s at least one – what he calls the education industry – that is no longer…
Dinolfo is running for county executive
The Monroe County Republican Party has tapped County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo to run for county executive. Dinolfo, who’s been since 2004, announced her candidacy at a press conference this afternoon. She was introduced by County Republican Party chair Bill Reilich, who touted some of Dinolfo’s accomplishments as clerk. Dinolfo focused on customer service and embraced new…
![[UPDATED] Assembly Speaker Silver arrested, faces corruption charges](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/news_icon1_newspaper.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Assembly Speaker Silver arrested, faces corruption charges
Federal officials allege that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver collected bribes and kickbacks and disguised them as income from his legal work.
No surprises out of Cuomo’s State of the State
The big questions heading into Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State Address weren’t about what he was going to propose; he’d laid out most of his plans over the past week and a half. Rather, legislators questioned how Cuomo would pay for it all, and media types speculated on the speech’s tone. Much of…
State of the Union: Obama in charge
State of the Union speeches have their limitations. And especially in this political climate, they seem to be as much about scoring points as anything else. But in many ways, President Obama’s speech last night was a significant one. He made it clear that he won’t spend the last two years of his presidency cowering…
![[UPDATED] Former Police Chief James Sheppard to run for County Legislature](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/news_shep2.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Former Police Chief James Sheppard to run for County Legislature
He is running as a Democrat for the 23rd District seat, which is currently held by Paul Haney.
The future and the race for the Cuomo Billions
Nationally and here at home, poverty and wealth disparity are crippling us, and I’m seeing a lot of small-bore, more-of-the-same plans to deal with them.
LECTURE | Women’s World-Wide Progress
Though our foremothers fought difficult battles in order to gain women the rights to vote, to work, and to own property, we know there’s still work to do. In many areas of the world, women have few advocates. But how do we measure success in advancing the status of women in this world? On Wednesday,…
R&B | “What’s Going On?”
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing Marvin Gaye’s music, even if it’s performed in tribute. Gaye’s tunes, like “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” are undeniably great. “What’s Going On?” pays homage to Gaye’s genius by presenting his classic songs live on stage exactly as they were…
SPECIAL EVENT | RMSC After Dark: Prehistoric Party
The 21 and older crowd can get a last look at the “Dinosaurs” traveling exhibit during the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Prehistoric Party. The RMSC After Dark series gives adults the chance to explore the three floors of the museum without the crowds of kids, and includes live music, food, and a cash bar.…
ROCK | Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottle Rockets
No musician has evoked the mysteries of the Billboard charts quite like Marshall Crenshaw. The singer-songwriter’s string of classics during the 1980’s were as good as anything produced during that period, but they rarely got a fair shake. OK, “Someday, Someway” cracked the Billboard Top 40 but for his other tunes, like “Whenever You’re…
THEATER | “Aria da Capo”
Edna St. Vincent Millay may be remembered as a poet, but her literary work includes several plays, including the one-act “Aria da Capo.” Written in 1919 for the Provincetown Players, this fanciful piece receives a rare revival this weekend at Writers & Books, directed by Melyssa Hall and Spencer Christiano. Despite its title, “Aria da Capo” has nothing…
FOLK | Cosy Sheridan
Milk and honey smooth with generous servings of life metaphors, Cosy Sheridan is a folk force. Nearing her third decade on the festival circuit, Sheridan carries 12 albums, the wisdom of her age, and little sign of letting up. Her voice dances a delicate falsetto to a throaty gravity and she’s been writing songs longer…
WORKSHOP | NY Craft Beer vs. the World
As New York craft beers are becoming more recognized for their high quality and complexity, a New York Wine & Culinary Center workshop seeks to compare how these beers stack up against similar offerings from different countries. Attendees will blind taste several different New York craft beers alongside their counterparts from premier breweries around the…
ALT-ROCK | Routine Involvements
Ambient trances encircle punk wails and surf rock noodles in The Routine Involvements’ music. The band dances a few genres, but seem to sit comfortably in the shoegaze subgenre. The duo, Ben Corey and Atom Mac, stays nimble in its guitar and drums arrangement, while not sounding slim. Searching vocals, synth effects, and distortion give…
Specialists for special education
If the Rochester City School District is to have any chance of significantly increasing its graduation rate, it must improve outcomes for special-education students. To that end, the district is expanding its use of consultant teaching, which provides specialized help for students when needed. Roughly 17.1 percent of city school students have some type of…
ROCK | Walk the Moon
Though the band takes its name from The Police’s single “Walking On the Moon,” Walk the Moon doesn’t have much in common with Sting and the guys. The group puts out a form of pop-rock that is much more pop than rock — and even then, more artsy than poppy. Many of Walk the Moon’s…
Rochester to undertake citywide climate inventory
The City of Rochester will hire a consultant to help it put together a Climate Action Plan — a step that an official says builds on other projects and programs helping to make Rochester a more sustainable and, therefore, more desirable city. “You want to be in a community that’s somewhat progressive in sustainability areas.…
ROCK | Super Killer Robots
If Black Sabbath and Rage Against the Machine were to have a baby — don’t ask how two bands can have a baby, just go with it — the result would be Buffalo oddity Super Killer Robots. The foursome produces some serious 1970’s riffing while using that RATM lyrical delivery and throwing in some metal…
DINING REVIEW: Fireside Grill and Sports Bar
I heard about Fireside Grill and Sports Bar when one of my day-job colleagues mentioned that it was his go-to local spot for sports bar fare — with a bit of a twist. What got me to make the drive to Henrietta was his description of Chef Martin Paxton’s passion and how he strived to…
ELECTRONIC | Sydney Blu
Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Sydney Blu set up shop in Miami in 2010 and quickly established herself as a highly talented DJ in the EDM scene, generating numerous hits singles on the Beatport charts. In particular, Blu’s single, “Give it Up For Me,” landed as one of Beatport’s highest selling songs, and made Blu the…
BLUES | Blind Boy Paxton
Though a well-rounded multi-instrumentalist, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton shines brightest with a guitar in his lap. You could say he plays in the Piedmont style, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but there’s something in the young man’s voice that burns hotter beyond the fire and longing of just straight up acoustic blues. Based in L.A.…
Imbibe to revive
It’s that time of year when we’re all looking for warm indulgences to combat the winter cold. Thankfully, Rochester has no shortage of such offerings. Below are five drinks sure to warm your bones during the winter months. What about you? What are your favorite delicacies to warm up with during Rochester’s inimitable winters? Join…
Family ties
There was a time in the mid-1970’s when you could hardly turn on a radio without hearing the pop hit “Cat’s In The Cradle.” Singer Harry Chapin wrote the music and his wife Sandy wrote the lyrics of the quintessential song about a child and his absent father. Their daughter, Jen Chapin, now a formidable…
Warm comforts
Comfort food means different things to different people, but there are some common denominators: As with my attachment to pizza at The Varsity (which I ate with alarming frequency while attending Syracuse University), there is usually a sentimental or nostalgic element to comfort food. It is often described as hearty or warming, both physiologically and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “The Dan Eaton Band”
The Dan Eaton Band “The Dan Eaton Band” Self-released facebook.com/daneatonband From its red velvet cake cover, to its blue collar endurance, The Dan Eaton Band’s new self-titled release is a powerful and sweet affair. The album kicks off rough and tumble with “Happy Man,” a tune that has the guitar scratching the sky while trading…
Roll the dice
For me, the winter months have always been a time for hibernation, not exertion — I swear it’s not lazy, it’s just being sensible about surviving these long Rochester winters. All due respect to those participating in activities like the Polar Plunge, but I value my warmth and comfort a little too much to risk…
Feedback 1/21
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. Comments of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Speech has…
Winter art academy
While many make the most of the short and chilly days by engaging in winter recreation, frolicking in the freezing snow isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But hibernating with Netflix can get a bit depressing. Among the more creative things you can do while remaining cozy this winter is taking an art course. For less…
Urban Action 1/21
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Lecture on designing urban spaces The Community Design Center of Rochester will present “Street Smart,” a lecture by Victor Dover, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28. Dover and his firm, Dover, Kohl…
15 for 2015
If you’re already tired of staying inside this winter, City is here to help with a selection of 15 can’t-miss events from the first quarter of 2015. Did we miss something especially exciting on your personal calendar? Add it to the comments section of this article at rochestercitynewspaper.com. ART | “In Glorious Technicolor” Think for…
“Arabat Spit/Healing Muds” by Sergiy Lebedynskyy
The current show at Lumiere Photo’s Spectrum Gallery offers Rochester audiences a rare glimpse at a photo movement presently unfolding on the other side of the world. “Arabat Spit/Healing Muds” is a set of deceptively contemporary images by young Ukrainian photographer Sergiy Lebedynskyy, which explores a public spa as a metaphor for his country’s difficult…
ART | Wayne Higby
World-renowned ceramist Wayne Higby’s work references imagery of vast canyons, time-scarred rock cliffs, and meandering, sparkling bodies of water. “I strive to establish a zone of quiet coherence; a place full of silent, empty space where finite and infinite, intimate and immense intersect,” he says. The first retrospective of Higby’s work will open this week…
COMEDY | Sky Sands
Magic, impressions, and improvisation all find their way into Sky Sands’ rapid, unforced, eclectic comedy repertoire, and while some of his puns are face-meltingly bad, the entertainment value of his personality and easy jokes far outweigh the occasional groaner. Described often as a “class act,” Sands prides himself on being witty at no one else’s…
