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Resolutions 2013
So that whole Mayan Apocalypse thing didn’t quite work out a few weeks back. I bet you’re regretting those holiday binges and end-of-the-year spending excesses even more than usual. But put that all behind you. We’re alive, and we have a brand new year in front of us. For 2013 City is bringing back its…
Brighton pursuing drilling ban
The Town of Brighton is acting to make a temporary ban on natural gas and oil drilling within town limits, including fracking, permanent. At 7 p.m. today, the Brighton Town Board will hold a public hearing on its proposed ban. Town Supervisor Bill Moehle says the board will probably vote on the proposed law at…
Daily Choices: What to do on Wednesday, January 9
Spesh: Nerd Nite 5 will take place tonight, at 7 p.m., at Veritas Wine Bar (217 Alexander St.), featuring presentations on “The Imagined Physiology of Typography” by Derek Crowe and “Scientific Explorations of the Human Specimen in Photography” by Luke Shaw. The cost of admission is $5, which will benefit Generation 2 (g2isgenerationtwo.org.) For more…
Light turnout for first RPD Twitter town hall
The digital revolution will be…sparsely attended. Points for effort, but Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard’s first Twitter town hall (transcript below) attracted few participants — about a handful over an hour’s time. A few participants asked multiple questions, and the RPD filled the remaining time by plugging PAC-TAC and other police programs, sharing neighborhood crime…
VIDEO GAMES: Pokemon X and Y announced
Gotta catch them all…in 3D!
Greens elect officers
Emily Good and Drew Langdon have been elected to serve as the 2013 co-chairs of the Monroe County Green Party, the party reports on its website. They replace Alex White and Vinessa Buckland. Good and Langdon were elected for one-year terms during the party’s December meeting. Good is an activist; in 2012 she was arrested…
Daily Choices: What to do on Tuesday, January 8
Sports: A Veterans and Military Appreciation Hockey Night will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at the Sports Center at MCC (2700 Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd.), at which the Nazareth Golden Flyers Men’s team will take on Cortland. Tickets are $5, but admission is free to military and veterans. All proceeds from the gate…
Concert Review: Dan Schmitt & the Shadows, Joe Beard, Funk Nut, Moon Zombies
Ventured into the unavoidable void of the west side on Friday, where broken bottles twinkle like suicidal stars and women on the financially motivated stroll ask for the time as a ploy for money. It’s bleak, I tell you. But within this shabby Shangri-La beat the hearts of two excellent venues pumping out real American…
WEEK AHEAD: Tweet with the RPD, True North expansion, Cuomo and guns
Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard will hold the first in a series of Twitter town halls this week. Participants can offer comments or ask Sheppard a question on any issue of concern, including bullying, gun violence, and gangs. The first town hall is from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8. You must…
Daily Choices: What to do on Monday, January 7
MUSIC: It’s that time of the year again fellow Rochesterians. Time to practice your favorite songs, tune up the vocal chords, and get ready to belt it out. Lovin’ Cup Idol (300 Park Point Dr., lovincup.com) starts tonight with the first round of auditions. Want to join? Be prepared to sing up to 3 songs…
ARTS: RPO schedules guest conductors for January concerts
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra announced today that guest conductors will fill in for its January programs devoted to works by Mozart — concerts that were originally scheduled to be conducted by RPO Music Director Arild Remmereit. These were to be the first RPO concerts featuring Remmereit on the podium since the orchestra’s board voted in…
Daily Choices: What to do on Saturday, January 5 and Sunday, January 6
Music: If you are looking to hear some music this weekend but also want that dollar to mean a little more, there are three different benefits you can check out this weekend.
College Blog: Deaf in Rochester
The College Blog is a partnership between City Newspaper and Rochester Institute of Technology Assistant Professor Dr. Hinda Mandell. Each week City will post blog posts from several of Mandell’s journalism students, who will write about what concerns Rochester-area college students, both on and off campus. “When my hearing friends want to go out somewhere…
College Blog: Welcome to the (very scary) real world
The College Blog is a partnership between City Newspaper and Rochester Institute of Technology Assistant Professor Dr. Hinda Mandell. Each week City will post blog posts from several of Mandell’s journalism students, who will write about what concerns Rochester-area college students, both on and off campus. Over the course of the next six months, a…
College Blog: Millennials in college
The College Blog is a partnership between City Newspaper and Rochester Institute of Technology Assistant Professor Dr. Hinda Mandell. Each week City will post blog posts from several of Mandell’s journalism students, who will write about what concerns Rochester-area college students, both on and off campus. I like talking to my father about his college…
A lead-crime connection?
Violent crime began trending down in the 1990’s after the highs of the 1970’s and 80’s,The Christian Science Monitor reported that in 2012, the national rate of serious crimes was at its lowest since 1963. Researchers have developed many theories about why the crime rate unexpectedly dropped. Some credit tough-on-crime policies. Others credit the rise…
Democrats fell off the cliff and can’t get up
Some Democrats are crowing about the fiscal cliff outcome, and criticizing Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner for not having control of his party. Yesterday, many bloggers and political pundits cast President Obama as the clear winner in the fiscal cliff showdown. But as Obama signed the new tax bill into law yesterday morning,…
Daily Choices: What to do on Friday, January 4
Art: The first First Friday of the year is tonight. Take part in the city-wide coordinated night of art openings from about 6 to 9 p.m. Find out what galleries are hosting receptions tonight by searching tonight’s date on our calendar at rochestercitynewspaper.com, or visit firstfridayrochester.org for more information.
Video Game Review: Little Inferno
“Little Inferno” is a tricky game to review.
Not because I didn’t enjoy it-in fact, the opposite-but because it’s hard to say exactly what the game is. It’s somewhat the antithesis of a sand box game: Normally developers give players the tools to create a world. “Little Inferno” gives you the tools to burn that…
School board’s confidence and containment
There’s a powerful scene in Tennessee Williams’ play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof when family patriarch Big Daddy learns that his health is failing. His family ambushes him with normalcy and mindless chatter as they plot to take over his estate after his death. “What’s that smell in this room?” he says. “Didn’t you…
Daily Choices: What to do on Thursday, January 3
Art: Feeling like a homebody with all of this snow? Have a few friends over tonight, concoct some cozy beverages, and make some 6×6 inch artworks for Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s annual small artworks fundraiser. Go your own way, or try a group theme. Your 6x6x2013 entries are due Apr 21, but you can submit…
Reports: Draft state document said fracking could be done safely
In a draft analysis prepared early last year, the state Health Department said it believed fracking could be done safely in New York, say reports from a couple of statehouse media organizations. The department also said in the draft that fracking can, as the New York Times puts it, “be done safely within the regulatory…
School closings: trauma or treatment?
Traditional public schools are closings by the hundreds in cities large and small across the country. New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Philadelphia have either closed numerous schools or, like Rochester, plan to do so in the near future. The closings have often been used as an opportunity to replace traditional schools with public…
A Morelle is headed to the Legislature
Monroe County Democrats will move to put Joe Morelle Jr., in the County Legislature seat vacated by Ted O’Brien, who is starting his term in the State Senate. An announcement is expected later today. Morelle is the son of State Assembly member and county Democratic Committee chair Joe Morelle. According to media reports, Morelle Jr.…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Django Unchained”
For reasons I have never fully comprehended, most of the critics, at least judging by the exclamation points in the advertisements, treat Quentin Tarantino like the second coming of Orson Welles, showering him with praise and adorning his films with all the usual awards. Although I have seen just about all of his movies, none…
New life for old Academy Building
The four-story building at 13 South Fitzhugh Street is alive with activity as construction workers in hard hats and dusty dungarees file in and out of the front entry. Some workers haul materials up to the roof, while others caulk the ground-floor windows. Just inside the chain-link fence that guards the building’s perimeter stands a…
MOVIE REVIEW: “Les Miserables”
Since its English-language debut in London’s West End in 1985, “Les Misérables” has gone on to be the world’s longest-running musical, seen by more than 60 million people, in 42 countries, performed in 21 different languages, and winner of nearly 100 awards internationally. A film adaptation of the show was always a given, though it’s…
MUSIC PROFILE: Deborah Magone
Deborah Magone is a fabulous fireball of rock ‘n’ roll energy. Her music is visceral, it’s kinetic — you can feel it. With a stage persona as wild as her untamed locks, Magone throws a saddle over classic, blues-stained rock ‘n’ boogie and rides with a ferocious giddy-up. She’s been at it since she was…
HIP-HOP | Future, Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti is coming to town for the most recent stop on his Road to Riche$ tour, and bringing newcomer Future for our sampling pleasure. While both make claims of thugging out in the streets, one wonders if it isn’t just to give some legitimacy to their lyrics in some cases — for an interesting…
Future uncertain for Letchworth bridge
The stunning view from the original Portageville railroad bridge helped convince William Pryor Letchworth to buy land around the Genesee River Gorge. He later donated the land to New York State, and it became the heart of Letchworth State Park. The current railroad bridge, built in 1875 and listed on the National Register of Historic…
ALTERNATIVE | The September Campaign
The cottage on Canandaigua Lake where The September Campaign recorded its debut CD, “Haunt,” is pretty far removed from Poland during the German invasion of 1939. But that event provides the backdrop for The September Campaign’s concept album that tells the story of a man who is coping with the resulting sudden and unexpected changes…
JAZZ | Shared Genes
Some fathers and sons bond by going fishing; others go to the ball game. But judging by their musical bond, Sam Nicolosi started playing guitar with his son Ted at an early age. The result is Shared Genes. When it comes to finger-style guitar, they are adept at re-creating the sounds of Australian guitarist Tommy…
CLASSICAL | Music and Poetry for the Feast of Epiphany
Finally feeling the holiday spirit now that boughs are heaped with snow? Then fa-la-la your way up East Avenue to the Church of the Incarnate Word for a concert of classical music celebrating the Feast of Epiphany through music and poetry. Incarnate Word Music Director Michael Unger presents Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” and…
BLUES/ROCK | Fifth on the Floor
This Kentucky four-piece formed in the summer of 2006 and rocked small-bar crowds with songs about its members’ two favorite things: women and booze. This early, schnockered songwriting approach has expanded over the years and the band’s high-energy live shows now incorporate a number of musical roots. Fifth on the Floor produces a clean, cohesive…
ART | New Shows Opening
Happy New Year, art lovers! Here are just a few fresh new art openings to help you ring in the fresh new year. All events are free to attend unless specified. For more art shows, visit rochestercitynewspaper.com and search our calendar, and check firstfridayrochester.org for more First Friday openings. Black Radish Studio (274 N. Goodman…
ART EVENT | Weaving & Fiber Arts Center Open House
Whenever I purchase an overpriced sweater, I lament the fact that I’m not crafty enough to make one myself. Change your dependence on boutiques and department stores by attending the Weaving and Fiber Arts Center’s Open House. On Saturday, January 5, the Center will host a free event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. View…
DANCE EVENT | 24seven Dance Convention
The popularity of TV shows like “Dance Moms” and “Glee” have brought dancing lessons back in the public eye. If your son or daughter, grandchild, or niece or nephew has been bitten by the dancing bug, the 24SEVEN Dance Convention is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent and receive constructive feedback. The convention…
LITERATURE | Plüb Book Club: Kafka’s “amerika”
It’s a brand new year, and you know what that means: time to challenge ourselves to adhere to a little more discipline in our attempts to cultivate a better self. I know, it’s a process. But we’re here to help! If you already enjoy reading, refine your tastes by joining Writers & Books’ Plüb Book…
Aid the transformation of America’s urban areas
Like most cities, Rochester’s primary source of income is the property tax. But this funding mechanism was created when cities were home to large factories and commercial establishments with vast inventories of real, taxable property.
CHOW HOUND: The latest edition
“We worked really hard to make sure that when somebody walks in, they’re like, ‘Wow,'” Cameron Phelps said, perhaps unnecessarily, as I swooned over The Daily Refresher. The new entry into Alexander Street’s Restaurant Row is utterly unrecognizable from its former incarnation as The Blue Room. Phelps co-owns The Daily Refresher with Dorado’s Jonathan Swan…
Feedback 1/02
We welcome your comments. Send them to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. Comments of fewer than 350 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. Obama’s fatwa…
Urban Action 1/2
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Book group meeting The Moving Beyond Racism Book Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, January 7, to discuss the book “How to be Black” by Baratunde Thurston. The group meets at…
