Two separate-but-similar competitions are pitting entrepreneurs against each other with the goal of bringing retail to downtown Rochester. The reward in both cases is one year of rent-free space downtown. Downtown Rochester is experiencing a housing boom, but retail has been slow to follow; residents often complain that there’s no quick or easy way to […]
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Primary endorsements
Both Democrats and Republicans in Monroe County have offices on the ballot in the September primary elections – which are on a Thursday this year, because of the Jewish holiday. But the vast majority are in the Democratic Party, for elected positions affecting residents of the City of Rochester. In New York, voters have to […]
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Comment period extended for school code of conduct survey
You now have until September 19 to comment on a proposed new Code of Conduct policy for city schools. The deadline, which was originally set for the end of August, has been extended because the response from parents has been poor. The Rochester Community Task Force on School Climate released a draft of the new […]
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Economic plan has familiar focus
The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has released a draft of its application for the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, the state program where seven Upstate regions are competing for one of three $500 million awards. And the key themes ought to sound very familiar. The draft application focuses on three major industry areas: optics, photonics, […]
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Now will we act?
Once again, gunfire disrupts a Rochester neighborhood. This time, three young men are dead. More outrage, more vigils, more calls to “do something.” Will we finally follow through?
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Town’s rained out and tapped out
On June 15, 3.3 inches of rain fell within 40 minutes in the Ontario County town of Richmond. The “gully washer,” as Supervisor Ralph Angelo calls it, busted out 22 culverts along town roads, with East Lake Road taking the worst hit. If that sounds familiar, there’s good reason. On one July day last year, […]
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Attack rallies trans community
Nicole Clark, a 19-year-old transgender woman, was attacked last month on Monroe Avenue near Goodman Street. Clark, who was with her mother at the time, says she was punched several times and knocked to the ground, where the attack continued, according to a police report. Police later charged Dyshieka McFadden with harassment in relation to […]
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Envisioning a “one-stop shop” for vets
US Air Force vet Shannon Barradas spent a recent afternoon painting the intricate details of a mixed-media piece she calls, “Rebirth.” Barradas, who served in Operation Desert Storm, has been going to art therapy at the Veterans Outreach Center on South Avenue for about a year, and is preparing her own art show. “I’ve been […]
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Scenes from the Rochester Twilight Criterium
The Rochester Twilight Criterium returned to downtown on Saturday, August 15, following a 6-year hiatus. More than 20,000 spectators came out to watch 339 participants race in a variety of competitions throughout the day, including in the two major contests: the women’s pro race and the men’s pro, which took place as the sun was […]
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The end of AIDS in NYS
The next time you see your primary care physician, don’t be surprised if you’re asked when you were last tested for HIV infection. HIV testing, particularly for those between the ages of 13 to 64 in New York State, is on its way to being as routine and regular as checking for high blood pressure. […]
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Bank or bust
Lumetrics is the kind of company that local elected and business officials love to tout. The Henrietta firm was founded in 2002 and employs 25 people. It designs and manufactures extremely precise measurement systems for multi-layer and coated materials, which other companies use in the production of everything from automobile windshields, to contact lenses, to […]
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Night riders
To put it simply, competing in a criterium is not easy, says cyclist Adam Myerson. “Bicycle racing is very tactically complex,” he says. “The best thing I could compare it to is trying to play speed chess with someone while running on a treadmill, and juggling at the same time.” While it (sadly) doesn’t involve […]
