Almost since its inception, public broadcasting in the United States has been a target of someone or other in the federal government. Just a few years after Congress created the Public Broadcasting Service, the Nixon administration was trying to keep public affairs off of its airwaves in favor of strictly educational and cultural fare. Since […]
Krestia DeGeorge
Posted inNews & Opinion
Revolving chair
For Joe Morelle to assume the Democratic Party’s reins is either its death knell or the first step toward recovery. The state assemblymember from Irondequoit is next in line to brave the revolving door that is the party’s top job. Molly Clifford resigned as Monroe County Democratic Party chair three months ago, and two weeks […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Joint decisions
“Unfortunately, we have a mix of science and political science that makes it difficult to figure out what’s going on.” That’s how Gary Morrow, a clinical psychologist with Strong Health, describes the discussion going on now in Albany over whether or not to approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes. If anything, Morrow’s quote […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The big-tent blues
Democrats — especially in this town — have a reputation for fighting one another, and last weekend’s countywide convention was no exception. The convention’s purpose was to designate candidates for several key races. Councilmember Wade Norwood won the mayoral designation convincingly, but retired Police Chief Bob Duffy and Councilmember Tim Mains will challenge Norwood in […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Dollars or sense? The news at the local daily
The Democrat and Chronicle has been losing readers — and the paper’s management and reporters have vastly different views on how to fix things. Is Gannett’s push for high profit hurting the community? A report from inside the D&C.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Freed parking? Better add up the costs
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But we can always count on a free parking space next time we go to the mall, the movies, or Wegmans, right? Not so fast, says Donald Shoup. The urban-planning professor at the University of California at Los Angeles wants to dispel the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
‘To seek Middle East peace, seek equality’
Halfway between the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem lies the tiny village of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. Just 50 families call it home. But despite its size, the village has attracted international attention, including Nobel Prize nominations. The Hebrew and Arabic phrases Neve Shalom and Wahat al-Salam translate into English as “oasis of peace.” […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Living large: supersizing the American home
By now most of us are familiar with the effects of suburban sprawl; living in Greater Rochester, it’d be almost impossible not to notice them. We’ve heard about the burdens that uncontrolled growth creates: more traffic, more reliance on cars, longer commute times, more expensive public water and sewer systems. We know that the […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Pipes wrench: an RIT debate on extremism
Daniel Pipes, a conservative academic and über-pundit on all things Middle Eastern, will be speaking April 14 at the Rochester Institute of Technology, as part of the school’s Gannett Lecture Series. And back in December, Pipes was declaring on his website that his appearance was “already generating more heat than light.” Pipes’ shtick relies […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Resurrecting the urban wasteland
It took a public shaming from the New York Times before it was released, but state money to fund brownfield cleanups is finally flowing to where it was intended. Last week Governor Pataki and the leaders of both houses of the state legislature announced a breakthrough that freed $30 million to help with the cleanup […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
We’d rather be out in the open
The areas in and around Rochester are rich with green space — diverse, convenient, and beautiful places to walk the dog, take out a canoe, find a zoo, or smell the lilacs. From the beautiful Seneca and Highland Parks, both designed by 19th-century landscape genius Frederick Law Olmsted, to Durand-Eastman Park, where you can feel […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
No prospective recruit left behind
Once again, Fairport’s taking a stand. The school district that made a name for itself by taking on Albany and refusing to adopt a budget until the state adopted one of its own is digging its heels in again. This time, the opponent is a bit more formidable: the Pentagon. The impending showdown is over […]
