Cover Story
Comcast-Time Warner deal in regulators’ hands
If approved, the merger would make Comcast, already the largest pay TV and broadband Internet provider in the country, even bigger.
Comcast and TWC respond to merger comments
Over the past few months, state regulators have been flooded with public comments for and against — mostly against — the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger. Staff from state agencies have submitted comments, too — which are basically recommendations regarding the deal. Yesterday, Comcast and Time Warner Cable submitted their joint response to the comments,…
Johns Hopkins wants out of Buffalo schools deal
Well, well. Maybe turning around failing urban schools is harder than some education reformers would have us believe. Johns Hopkins University, in a much publicized move, took over the management of two failing Buffalo schools – East and Lafayette — last year. But now, according to the Buffalo News, it looks like the university wants…
![WEEK AHEAD: [UPDATED] Teachout bus to make Monroe County stop](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/1366389151-democrat-donkey_thumb.webp?fit=180%2C180&ssl=1)
WEEK AHEAD: [UPDATED] Teachout bus to make Monroe County stop
On Thursday, gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout and lieutenant governor candidate Tim Wu will make a campaign stop in Monroe County. They’ll appear at 9 a.m. at Village Gate Square, 274 North Goodman Street. The visit is part of the Teachout-Wu campaign’s Whistleblower Bus Tour. The candidates are making stops across the state and promise to…
“True Blood” Series Finale: “Thank You”
I think we can all agree that this one falls under the “Whimper” category, not “Bang,” right? I have actually been digging the laid-back, ongoing-wake feeling of the second half of this last season. I thought it was bold in its own way, and I enjoyed much of the character work it entailed. But I…
“Doctor Who” Series 8, Episode 1: “Deep Breath”
After nearly a year of teasing, we finally got to meet our new Doctor, Peter Capaldi. Of course, first episodes with new Doctors are tricky. The character himself doesn’t really know he really is, so it’s difficult for audiences to get a handle on him as well. I felt that way about Tennant and Eccleston…
Looping back around
In the 1970’s and 80’s, Walt Atkison made a name for himself in the Rochester area — and the tour stops along Interstate 90 — as the one-man band. Using an Echoplex and a tambourine he’d kick around with his boots, Atkison played solo shows at almost every Rochester venue of the time, from the…
Forums on public education kick off in September
A “community read” of education historian Diane Ravitch’s book and a virtual appearance by Ravitch on Wednesday, September 10, will kick off a series of public forums.
Groups push for and against lake levels plan
Back in June, the US and Canadian governments received for their consideration Plan 2014, a proposal to regulate water levels in Lake Ontario, from the International Joint Commission. Supporters and opponents of Plan 2014 have been making their voices heard throughout the process. This week, a group of 40-plus environmental and sportsmen’s groups sent a…
State commits $340 million to universal prekindergarten
New York City schools and agencies will receive the bulk of the $340 million universal prekindergarten funding recently announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The funding is the first installment on Cuomo’s promise to invest $1.5 billion over five years in a statewide program. Eighty-one school districts applied for the funding. New York City’s Department of…
Rochester will not house undocumented children
Rochester will not house undocumented children because the federal government is no longer looking for temporary shelters, says a letter from Mayor Lovely Warren. The owner of the Blossom South Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Monroe Avenue, Israel Segal, was interested in turning the vacant property over to the federal government for use as a…
Administration problems add to Vargas’s challenges
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas says he’s making progress in improving city schools, and results are coming. But he faces some serious problems that he says could roll everything backward: open resistance from the administrators union and several changes among top administrators in central office. Vargas is at a key point in his tenure with…
FESTIVAL | Flour City BrewFest
Rochester loves craft beer, and the Flour City Brewers Fest is providing another opportunity to sample some of the area’s at the Public Market. The event offers more than 100 craft beers for tasting, including one-time-only brews created for the event and other hard to find selections. Food will be available for purchase from local…
DINING REVIEW: Atlas Eats
The most delicious scallops I’ve eaten in a long time were cooked in a small, mom-and-pop storefront in Irondequoit. Caught wild off the coast of New England and a little over an inch tall, the scallops had been seared until their tops and bottoms developed a light brown crust. On the tongue they tasted sweet…
WORKSHOP | Comics for Beginners
The art of comic book making tends to be a technical and highly intricate process. Sure, anyone can attack the construction of a comic book with reckless abandon, but quality comics, more often than not, come from those artists with the ability and wherewithal to really know what they’re doing. The Rochester Brainery’s Comics for…
ART | Ukiyo-e: Images of the Floating World
Ukiyo-e wood block prints are among Japan’s most iconic pieces of art. Ukiyo-e, which means “pictures of the floating world,” often depicts folk tales, kabuki actors, and striking landscapes. Ock Hee’s Gallery offers an opportunity for Rochesterians to view these rare works of art, presenting an exhibition of some 30 ukiyo-e pieces, created throughout the…
The show must go on
If there is an Olympics of Theater, rehearsing and performing Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off” would be its equivalent of the triathlon: an endurance test for the participants, but a lot of fun to watch from the safety of one’s own chair. With its lovingly detailed look on backstage and onstage chaos, and the opportunities it…
POETRY | The Poetry Lounge
Discovering raw, unknown talent at an open mic night is a particularly satisfying sensation. Baring witness to what could potentially be the beginnings of an illustrious career, or just a terrific one-off performance no-one will ever see again, is almost always an exciting experience. Boulder Coffee Company is already well-known among Rochester talent for hosting…
VARIOUS | West Fest
Dusty West, impresario of Eat Here Records, wants you to know that this year’s theme of his eponymously named fourth-annual event, West Fest, is “Destroy All Scenes.” While the local bands on the two-night line-up are aggressive, this festival is about making friends as it attempts to unite fans of a few specific genres to…
FESTIVAL | The New York State Fair
The sprawling, massive New York State fair is Thursday, August 21, through Monday, September 1, and this year’s festivities are as enormous and diverse as ever. This year’s musical acts include, but certainly are not limited to, country superstar Brad Paisley, party torch-bearers Pitbull and Jason Derulo, and alt-rockers Young the Giant. The New York…
VARIOUS | Fairport Music and Food Festival
The Erie Canal is one of Rochester’s most iconic and scenic geographic features. Combine it with live music and you’ve got a recipe for a great summer day. The Fairport Music and Food Festival presents local musical acts from a variety of genres and a taste of Fairport on Friday, August 22, and Saturday, August…
BLUES | Selwyn Birchwood
Though he isn’t from Chicago, guitarist and vocalist Selwyn Birchwood is the embodiment of the city’s brand of blues. His intense lead guitar playing, with its dirty tone, is equivalent to an out-of-body-experience, and combined with his rough, gritty, perfect-for-blues voice you’d think you were listening to a blues legend. Lyrically, the music will resonate…
AMERICANA | The Honeycutters
The Honeycutters are a joyful celebration of emotions, presented in a country/roots/honkey-tonk mix. The band employs acoustic guitar, mandolin, pedal steel, bass, and drums as the setting for singer Amanda Anne Platt’s beautifully unadorned voice. Harmonies, rollicking jukeboxes, and the spirit of life and loss are the ingredients this band offers up. The music is…
JAZZ | Tom Harrell’s “Colors of a Dream”
Trumpet and flugelhorn player extraordinaire Tom Harrell has delighted audiences at two Rochester International Jazz Festivals. When he takes the stage at Hochstein Saturday he’ll be joined by a new, all-star band, “Colors of a Dream.” The group features bassist-vocalist and four-time Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding, who became the first jazz musician to win…
PUNK | Rotten U.K.
If you have yet to experience a Rochester punk show, then here is your chance to tap in all the way. Rotten U.K. is returning to the Bug Jar, complete with metal studs, plane glue Mohawks, thrashing guitar riffs, and brain-rattling vocals. The band’s music is loud, aggressive, and urgent. Bring your helmet, because this…
R&B | ROC The Park: A Tribute to Motown
An extension of the city’s Party In The Park series, ROC the Park showcases Rochester’s urban music scene with a series of three concerts in July, August, and September. On Friday, August 22, ROC The Park will host A Tribute to Motown, featuring Carlton Wilcox Live, Jimmie Highsmith, Cinnamon Jones, Art Beaty, and DJ Papa…
Bringing two Bachs together
Music history includes many Bachs. Johann Sebastian, who lived from 1685 to 1750, was the greatest of his musical family and still the best known to us. But Europe boasted other Bachs throughout the 17th and 18th century, and among the most prominent was one of Johann Sebastian’s sons, Carl Philipp Emanuel. In his lifetime,…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Buffalo Sex Change”
“Buffalo Sex Change” Dadstache Records Buffalosexchange.bandcamp.com The cover to Buffalo Sex Change’s debut full-length does a good job framing the vibe for the album. It’s a black and white photo; two guys, black leather jackets, sunglasses, and a motorcycle, set against a brick wall with some heavy shadows. It’s the kind of cover you would…
Feedback 8/20
Send comments to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. For our print edition, we select comments from all three sources; those of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. The children at…
New plan proposed for Henrietta housing
Campus Crest, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based developer, has revived its proposed student housing project in Henrietta. The developer wants to build an off-campus housing option for students at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It would be a privately owned development, not an RIT dorm: 225 units, 600-bed on 20 acres of a 73-acre property it…
KIDS | “Quest for the Knotties”
The “Knotties” — tiny, mystical woodland creatures created by local sculptor and Nazareth College associate professor Doot Bokelman — live deep on the trails of Ganondagan, adding a touch of fantasy to the historic site. To tell the story of the “Knotties” and their adventure with a group of youngsters, Bokelman wrote the children’s book…
SPECIAL EVENT | Writers and Books “Get Lit” Pub Crawl
It’s no secret that some of history’s greatest writers liked to drink. And though alcohol may have done more harm than good for writers like Hemmingway, Joyce, and Faulkner, a drink, in moderation, can complement good literature. Writers and Books is hosting a pub crawl, bringing literary fanatics to three Rochester bars for drink specials…
Urban Action 8/20
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Swamp Sanctuary plans a hike Thousand Acre Swamp Sanctuary will host “Space Junk Over the Swamp,” a hike and discussion, at 8 p.m. on Friday, August 22. Several volunteers will lead the hike.…
![[UPDATED] Coalition to push for police reform](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/public_safety3_police-car.webp?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Coalition to push for police reform
A coalition to change the way policing is done in Rochester will present a package of suggested reforms to City Council in the near future, says the Rev. Lewis Stewart, president of the United Christian Leadership Ministry. Coalition members want an independent civilian review board with subpoena power, Stewart says, and they want police officers…
