Officials at The Strong National Museum of Play and Rochester school board President Van White are in discussions to explore possible partnerships between the museum and some city schools. The early discussions have involved tapping the museum’s expertise to show teachers how to use play to enrich instruction, White says. The partnership would be between […]
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
The Gay Alliance is coming out
The Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley has a distinguished history of education, advocacy, and service to the LGBTQ community in the Rochester area. It represents the strength and resilience of the LGBTQ community, and it has often been held up as a symbol of the city’s progressive values. For more than 40 years, there’s […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Debate gave closer look at personalities
During yesterday’s mayoral debate on WROC-TV, challengers James Sheppard and Rachel Barnhart did their best to inflict serious damage on incumbent Lovely Warren. But whether you were undecided or were just leaning toward one of the three, it’s unlikely that the debate did much to sway your decision. For one thing, none of the three […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
City effort aimed at increasing accountability of local landlords
The people in the apartment across the street are still partying, music blaring, at 2 a.m. The next-door neighbors moved out in the middle of the night and left heaps of trash at the curb. These are familiar scenarios for residents in some city neighborhoods, and they’re often left scratching their head and asking: where […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Activists push district to hire more teachers of color
The New York State Department of Education released English and math test scores for grades 3-8 last week, and once again the Rochester school district’s scores were the lowest among the state’s Big Five urban districts. Although Rochester students showed a slight improvement over last year’s scores, only about 7 percent met proficiency standards in […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Maplewood and North Clinton in transition
Last in a series on Rochester neighborhoods and the fall city elections. Sam Spoto has lived in the Maplewood neighborhood since the 1940’s, and remains one of its most ardent cheerleaders. “I remember when we had two movie theaters, grocery stores, lots of restaurants, and some major employers within walking distance,” says Spoto, who heads […]
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Elmwood Avenue plan up to City Council
The Terrence Building, the 17-story, 1950’s-era brick building that was part of the former Rochester Psychiatric Center, seems to jut up from the landscape at 1201 Elmwood Avenue. Over the years, there’ve been proposals for redeveloping its roughly 30-acre site – part of which is in the town of Brighton – but nothing has gotten […]
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Bringing back Bull’s Head
Up until about the 1950’s, the Bull’s Head area was a thriving part of the southwest section of the city. Though it’s still remembered fondly by many people, particularly in Rochester’s African-American community, right now Bull’s Head is scarred by vacant lots and abandoned buildings. It’s often better known for the free public health clinic […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
CRCDS landmark status delayed
At a special joint hearing last week of the city’s Preservation Board and Planning Commission, Thomas McDade Clay, vice president of institutional advancement at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, pleaded with members for more time – and he got it. McDade Clay asked members of the two boards to delay their vote on whether CRCDS […]
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Designing for a better city
The City of Rochester, says Maria Furgiuele, is experiencing a long-awaited renaissance, and it has a chance to shape its future in a way that will benefit all of its residents – and attract new ones. With thoughtful planning, she says, the city can provide quality housing for all of its people, create mass transit […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Frustrated board wrestles with special ed
Rochester school board member Malik Evans isn’t known for theatrics or public outbursts, but at a recent board meeting, Evans had enough. Special education consultant Judy Elliott was bluntly describing a broken system. But she wasn’t more than 15 minutes into her presentation when Evans began fidgeting in his seat and interrupting her with questions. […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
In Grove Place and PLEX neighborhoods, hopes and fears of development
This is the second article in an occasional series on neighborhoods and the fall city elections. If you had talked to people living downtown 10 years ago, many would have said they were concerned about how to revive it. Now the worry is more about how to manage rapid redevelopment. The Grove Place neighborhood – […]
