Bicycles have the upper hand on cars in that they’re safer for the environment, healthier for the user, and generally have an easier time getting around in dense urban settings. One area where bikes will always lose to cars, however, is weight. Bikes aren’t heavy enough to trigger the underground sensors that change traffic lights, […]
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When doctors can’t ease suffering
Modern clinical care does not give suffering the attention it needs, says Dr. Ronald Epstein, professor of family medicine, psychiatry, and oncology at the University of Rochester. Even the word sounds slightly out of place in modern medicine, though Epstein says it’s more relevant than ever. Suffering tends to be seen as an end-of-life occurrence, […]
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City went too far regulating alcohol sales
A regulation to help protect Rochester neighborhoods from the trouble sometimes associated with corner stores has been repealed because the city did not have the authority to implement it. For the past three or four years, the City of Rochester regulated retail operations that sell alcohol, tobacco or tobacco paraphernalia, lottery tickets, or firearms, considering […]
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Cuomo acts to help young offenders
New York is one of two states that treat 16- and 17-year-old offenders the same way that they treat adult criminals. As a result, these teens are saddled with criminal records, which can make it harder for them to get jobs later in life, even if they’ve stayed out of trouble since their initial offense. […]
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Union works for certification overhaul
New York State United Teachers is working with the Board of Regents, the State Education Department, and lawmakers to overhaul the teacher certification process. NYSUT says that there are numerous content and computer format problems with the state’s new certification exams. The union also wants lawmakers to stop for-profit testing companies from charging student-teachers to […]
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Rochesterians doing great things behind the scenes
There are many talented people in Greater Rochester working to make the region a better place to work, live, and play. But it often seems like the same names dominate headlines, while other no less deserving people go unnoticed. The Rochester 10 — an annual project by City Newspaper — is designed to bring some […]
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Downtown’s rebirth
The first in a four-part series on the changes happening downtown looks at the housing market. Numerous new developments are drawing people downtown, but is the growth sustainable?
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Pride Agenda passes the baton
The revelation that Empire State Pride Agenda will discontinue its main operations next year has stunned many in the LGBT community. The Pride Agenda is a pillar in the gay rights movement, advocating on behalf of a long list of issues in New York since 1990, including hate-crime legislation and marriage equality. The group has […]
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Group flags abuse report trends
The Monroe County’s Department of Human Services estimates that it’ll field more than 8,900 reports of child abuse and neglect in 2016. The number has been rising since at least 2008, when the county received 7,453 such reports, according to budget documents. Typically, around 90 percent of the reports involve neglect allegations, while fewer than […]
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Calling for Cala
A petition to draft Bill Cala as the next Rochester schools superintendent is on Change.org. It’s not clear who is behind the effort. The petition is directed at the Rochester school board, and the goal is to gather 500 signatures. Cala is former superintendent of the Fairport school district and is also a former interim […]
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City festivals to get fairness check
Rochester is known for its festivals, and the annual Jazz Festival is the undisputed jewel in the crown. But some people, including a member of City Council, say that the festival is treated like a favorite child and that it’s time to insist on more transparency. The City of Rochester will put together a committee […]
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Next step: making sure we don’t blow $500 million
It sounds like a lot of money, but in terms of government spending, $500 million really isn’t, which is why careful investment in projects that move the Finger Lakes economy forward and finally shake off the region’s Rust Belt past is so important. The Finger Lakes is one of the three regions to win $500 […]
