You have to wonder how Francis Bellamy (1855-1931) would greet today’s fracas over
the Pledge of Allegiance.
Columns
A God-fearing people
The Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because it includes the phrase “one nation, under God”? When I heard about the California court’s ruling, I thought: Well, yeah. Who could argue with that? Never underestimate the insecurity of religious folks, though. And never underestimate elected officials’ ability to pander. No sooner was the news […]
Library in limbo: How low can it go?
Administrators of the Monroe County Library System are “sitting on pins and needles” these days, says MCLS director Richard Panz, but not in anticipation of the long-delayed fifth Harry Potter book. In this case, it’s the figures for the county’s share of the library system’s 2003 budget that are late — over three months […]
Ted Altier
A gentle, quiet pillar of the community, Ted Altier, died June 21 after a long and brave struggle with illness. Ted epitomized a special kind of Rochester civic leadership: fiercely committed, and fiercely low profile. He was active in numerous organizations — board member of the Rochester Philharmonic, WXXI, the Finger Lakes Health Systems […]
‘We’re in big trouble’
Hundreds of people stood and cheered last Thursday when the School Board announced that Superintendent Clifford Janey will be leaving. Cheered? I just wanted to throw up. Should Janey leave? Probably. Is this the right time? I don’t know. One thing’s for sure, though: this isn’t the right way. It may have made some School […]
Zoning
The northeast quadrant reads like a city realtor’s sample-book. You’ll find a collection of housing styles from 1900 to 1950 and a range of housing prices from the handyman’s special to the stately manor. The area extends from Main Street and the railroad tracks in the south, to the river in the west. The town […]






