Monroe County Democrats had a good night: they took the sheriff’s office, they picked up a County Legislature seat, and they won a smattering of town seats. Democratic candidate Todd Baxter unseated sitting Republican Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn with approximately 57 percent of the vote. That gives Democrats their biggest win of the night. Some progressives […]
Tim Louis Macaluso
I was born and raised in the Rochester area, but I lived in California and Florida before returning home about 12 years ago. I'm a vegetarian and live with my husband and our three pugs. I cover education, health care, and local politics for City.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Integrated school still far off
Will Greater Rochester ever embrace a racially integrated public school? For the past five years, the advocacy organization Great Schools for All has been seeking ways to reduce racial and economic segregation in public schools. Its efforts have culminated in a proposal for magnet schools that would serve students from the city and the suburbs. […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Main Street reborn
if all goes as planned, the revitalization of the Main Street corridor, coupled with another major project – a complete redesign of Charles Carroll Plaza, the park that hugs the west side of the river – will dramatically change the way Rochesterians experience downtown.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Reimagining Charlotte
Even plenty of sunshine and unseasonably warm weather wasn’t enough to draw more than a dozen or so people to Ontario Beach Park in Charlotte during a recent afternoon. Seagulls well outnumbered cars in the Port of Rochester’s huge parking lot. And that’s just fine with some people who live and spend time there. The […]
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City group seeks tough action on drugs
A group of city residents is asking state and local law enforcement to take a much tougher approach to eliminating illegal drug sales and use in Rochester, which they say is out of control. An organization called Many Neighbors Building Neighborhoods, which has also opposed some recent development projects in their areas, held a meeting […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Another big race: Baxter versus O’Flynn for Monroe County Sheriff
For local voters, this year’s high-profile political race is probably for Rochester mayor. But the November 7 general election ballot includes one of the other most important offices in the county: that of Monroe County sheriff. The job isn’t for lightweights. Whoever is elected sheriff this year will oversee an organization that has about 1,100 […]
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Religious liberty talk set
President Trump has talked repeatedly about building a wall on the US border with Mexico, but he’s been mum on the institutional wall he’s been tearing down: the separation of church and state. That’s part of the message that Barry Lynn, the retiring executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will […]
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Rochester homeless advocates seek funding for winter shelter
There’s little that’s more emblematic of severe poverty than homelessness. Like most medium-size and large cities, Rochester has emergency shelters for homeless adults, but the demand for beds and living space, especially for the chronically homeless, continues to outpace availability. For the third year in a row, REACH Advocacy – Rochesterians Engaging in Action for […]
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Activists protest at police union
Tension grew last week between local activists and the Rochester Police Locust Club as officers participated in a controversial training program conducted by the Force Science Institute, paid for by the union. Critics say that FSI and its founder, Bill Lewinski, encourage officers to escalate their use of force in volatile situations, often in communities […]
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Creating schools of the future
During the last few years there has been a national discussion about the schools of the future: how they might look, what roles will technology play, and how teachers will teach. High school students in the Rochester City School District will soon enter this discussion. About 425 Rochester high school students will gather at School […]
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City Council wades into police oversight
City Council agreed in a meeting last week that improvements to the Civilian Review Board are needed, and Council wants those changes in place by July 1, 2018. “The Civilian Review Board in its current state lacks community trust, and the Council knows that this is a problem,” Council President Loretta Scott said in a […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Police training program challenged
More than a dozen local activists concerned about police use of force gathered at the Rochester Police Locust Club on Monday to protest plans to have officers participate in a controversial training program. The Locust Club is paying for training by the Force Science Institute. At Monday’s protest, activist Jazper Titus said training should instead […]
