Cover Story
PERSPECTIVES: Angelica Perez-Delgado
Angelica Perez-Delgado’s path to CEO and president of the Ibero-American Action League was challenging. And it certainly wasn’t something she could imagine was possible for her when she was a young Latina growing up in the North Clinton neighborhood. Perez-Delgado had her first child at 16. Though she says she came from a “good home,”…
Three firms charged in connection with the Rochester schools modernization project
The US Attorney’s Office has filed charges against three businesses for allegedly defrauding the Rochester schools modernization program. Journee Construction Inc., Bell Mechanical Contractors, and Kaplan Schmidt Electric were under investigation relating to the improper use of “pass through” minority contractors, according to a statement today from US Attorney James Kennedy, Western District of New…
Misfit Doughnuts reopens after fire
After nearly five months since the four-alarm fire, the beloved all-vegan bakery will reopen Saturday, August 24, in the South Wedge.
Rochester’s students continue to lag in English and math
The State Education Department released the spring 2019 test results for grades 3-8 in English and math today, and the Rochester City School District remains the lowest performing of the state’s Big Five districts. Only 13.2 percent of the Rochester district’s students were grade-level proficient in English. That was an improvement of 1.8 percentage points…
Council approves rezoning former Colgate campus
During its meeting Tuesday night, City Council voted 5-3 to rezone the former Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School campus from Institutional Planned Development to a Planned Development District. The new zoning clears a major hurdle for developer Angelo Ingrassia, since it allows for greater flexibility in the development of the site. Council members Jackie Ortiz, Malik Evans,…
Andreatta named new CITY editor
WXXI announced this week that its subsidiary, Rochester Area Media Partners has selected local award-winning journalist David Andreatta as the new editor of CITY Newspaper. Andreatta brings to the position nearly 20 years of experience as an investigative journalist and columnist for a variety of newspapers, most recently with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. He…
ACOUSTIC | Bill Scorzari
Singer-songwriter Bill Scorzari skates in the ether with a sort of Ry Cooder ambient dream. But his voice is absolutely of the earth with its whiskey-borne rasp. Scorzari sings in the folk tradition of those who aren’t afraid to jerk a few tears but doesn’t mask his intentions or pull any punches. Sometimes the man…
ROCK ‘N’ TONK | Our Own Worst Enemy
Not to be confused with similarly titled songs by Lit or even the Boss, Our Own Worst Enemy is a hybrid band of Rochester musicians playing a hybrid of music very close to well-charted blues waters. Let me tell ya, the pedigree is an impressive one with Steve Lyons (The Legendary Dukes) and Don Christiano…
DANCE | ‘Open Air: Brockport’
This Saturday, August 24, The College at Brockport Dance will host an event in its “Open Air: Brockport” series, which takes place in unique spaces such as gardens, rooftops, and farms. The series is presented by Brockport alumna Marisa F. Ballaro’s dance company, Ballaro Dance. This weekend’s performances will take place in and around the…
FESTIVAL | New York State Fair
Celebrating its 174th year, the New York State Fair is a 13-day, family-friendly annual event attracts more than one million people with its rides, performers, animals, vendors, and more. On opening night, Wednesday, August 21, legendary rock band Grand Funk Railroad kicks things off at 7 p.m. at Chevy Court. The fair will be hosting…
FOLK | The Franklin County Sweethearts
The Franklin County Sweethearts makes its maiden voyage to Rochester from its hometown of Greenfield, Massachusetts. Taking inspiration from classic country and Americana, this relatively new band is comprised of old souls. Front people Lexi Weege and Rosie Porter sing Beatles-esque harmonies while the rest of the band combines elements of blues and honkey-tonk to…
SPECIAL EVENT | Cider Fest
Participating in Western New York Cider Week, Unter Biergarten will host its first annual Cider Festival this weekend. The festival will features samples from approximately 13 craft cideries, as well as live music and a pie eating contest. Admission includes eight tasting tickets and one tasting glass. Deluxe admission includes eight tasting tickets, two half…
SKA-CORE | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Best known for its 1997 platinum-selling hit “The Impression That I Get,” The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is still kick-starting national audiences with high-energy ska rock after more than 30 years. Based in Boston, Massachusetts and averaging nine members, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones has released ten albums since 1989 including its newest 2018 album, “While We’re…
ART | Bruce Adams ‘Untitled’
Buffalo, New York native Bruce Adams has his hands in many creative fields, from his work as a critical writer to his role as an art educator and maker of paintings, installations, and performance art. His paintings are works of figurative surrealism, drawing from photographic studies of friends and acquaintances who collaborate on choices of…
ROCK | Shellshag
Sleigh bell-laden, hook-driven, guitar riffin’ Shellshag has been grinding out hits for over 20 years now and it’s no wonder it has a cult following. The punk rock duo from Brooklyn got their start in San Francisco, running the infamous DIY venue, Starcleaners. Shellshag’s commitment to touring in order to support its art and constant…
RECREATION | Yoga in the Pines
While every yoga studio puts effort into creating the ideal stress-melting environment, some instructors take it outside, into the fresh air and the beautiful sunlight (after all, it makes a bit of sense to do your sun salutations outdoors). Holding yoga sessions on rooftops and in parks has become increasingly popular, and this week, you…
ART | ‘From the Dirt to the Skies’
Main Street Arts Gallery will celebrate the micro bits and macro vistas of nature this week with the opening of the group exhibition, “From the Dirt to the Skies,” which continues through October 4. The showcase includes a variety of environments and natural objects, depicted in works painting, drawing, and printmaking by featured artists Pat…
VOTE NOW: Best of Rochester 2019 Primary Ballot
Grab your phone and your wallet, strap on those packs — back, shoulder, fanny, it doesn’t matter — and hit the streets. It’s time for CITY’s annual reader-guided trek through the region, Best of Rochester. We’ve got 100 categories for you to explore and report back on. Get out there and test yourself. Maybe you…
Feedback 8/21
We welcome your comments. Send them to feedback@rochester-citynews.com with your name, your daytime telephone number for verification, and your city, town or village. Comments of fewer than 500 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Immigrants in…
Students tell Rochester’s fish tale
A group of Brighton High School students wanted a project that would help people get outdoors for exercise and spend more time with nature. So they turned to their passion: cold water fishing. They pulled together nearly $1,000 in grants to create a guide to fishing sites within the city, says Sawyer Hall, a senior…
Urban Action 8/21
This week’s call to action includes the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.) Paying black women fairly The Pay Equity Coalition, which consists of nearly a dozen local activist groups, will hold a Black Equal Pay Day rally on Thursday August 22. The rally is being…
JAZZ | Chris Potter Jazz Trio
After studying with upstate guitar heroes Bob Sneider and Steve Brown, Chris Potter has emerged as a major player in a variety of groups, from the quartets of Mike Kaupa and Doug Stone to bands including Organzola and The Swooners. Whether he’s playing original tunes or jazz standards from the Great American Songbook, Potter unfurls…
Neighborhood schools: popular but impossible?
For many people, a return to neighborhood schools wouldn’t be a hard sell. But as with many things, that’s easier said than done.
Album review: ‘Elephino’
Elephino ‘Elephino’ Self-released elephino.bandcamp.com Local folk septet Elephino is celebrating its new, self-titled sophomore album, which was released in May. Featuring a lively mix of various stringed roots instruments, harmonica, vocals, and drums, Elephino puts a modern punk-bluegrass twist on traditional folk music. Vocalists Dani "Damnzel" and Tim Braley both sing with passionate, emotionally free-flowing…
Super City Rochester event breaks conventions
The three-day, multi-venue celebration will include a themed bar crawl, family-friendly events, live music, comedy, video games on the planetarium’s dome, food trucks, and an attempt to break the cosplay world record.
Rising and shining in Webster: Golden Boys
If you’re an early riser with an appetite, head to Webster, where Golden Boys is undoubtedly the sweet spot for breakfast in summer.
Benny Bleu completes August residency at The Little
Ben Haravitch, a.k.a. Benny Bleu, is a local singer-songwriter, banjo teacher, mobile recording engineer, and ultimately a modern-day folk storyteller. He’s in the middle of a month-long residency at The Little Theatre Café, with upcoming shows on August 22 and 29.
Album review: ‘Fat Ol’ Rat’
Folkfaces ‘Fat Ol’ Rat’ Self-released folkfacesmusic.com Somewhere along the Erie Canal, a bit west of here, there lives a quartet of musical ruffians who call themselves Folkfaces. Comprised of guitar, saxophone, washboard, upright bass, and other stringed things, this Buffalo band of eight years has mastered old-time jazz with a progressive twist, and has a…
Film preview: ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’
Part mismatched buddy comedy and part road trip movie, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” aims to be a feel-good film. We follow Zak and Tyler’s episodic adventure as the “two bandits on the run” drift wherever the river may take them and encounter various oddball characters along the way.
Film review: ‘Honeyland’
Offering an intimate portrait of a life lived in harmony with the natural world, the film follows Hatidze Muratova, the last in a long line of Macedonia’s nomadic beekeepers, living isolated in the mountainous region deep within the Balkans.
