Cover Story
Tim Mains: ‘I was the gay teacher’
Tim Mains was still new to teaching in the early 1970’s when he walked into his class in the Greece school district one day to find the word “faggot” written on the blackboard. That and a series of other events led him to come out of the closet to his students and peers at a…
Lej committee votes down animal abuser registry
The Monroe County Legislature will not take up a proposal to establish a countywide animal abuser registry. Instead, a Republican legislator will submit a memorializing referral — essentially an official letter in support of state or federal legislation — calling on the state to create a registry. Democratic Legislator Willie Joe Lightfoot submitted the proposal…
Dyce Faucette resigns from Syracuse post
Kim Dyce Faucette, a former top administrator with the Rochester school district, has resigned as superintendent of the North Syracuse Central School District, according to a report on the Syracuse Post-Standard’s website. The district’s school board voted 9-0 in favor of accepting Dyce Faucette’s resignation. Her resignation follows a tough budget fight for the 2013-2014…
Gillibrand pushes for brownfields bill
For more than 25 years, the Cunningham Carriage Factory building at 33 Litchfield Street in the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood sat vacant. That changed when DePaul, a nonprofit housing and social services organization, bought the property and began developing it into housing. Now, construction crews are stripping the sturdy brick building down to its bones. From…
Concert Review: Leon Russell, Officer Friendly, Greg Townson
Thursday night I agitated the backstage gravel in the Gray Ghost with the Tin Man riding shotgun to catch Leon Russell at Party in the Park. Upon our arrival, Ithaca-based Driftwood was serving up its whirling stomp-and-shout spin on bluegrass. The group brought excellent vocals and intensity, especially when the fiddle player wound up and…
![[UPDATED] Week Ahead: Animal abuser registry, fixing Monroe Avenue, school board meeting](https://i0.wp.com/www.roccitymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/cat02_square.webp?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1)
[UPDATED] Week Ahead: Animal abuser registry, fixing Monroe Avenue, school board meeting
The state Department of Transportation will discuss its plans for a section of Monroe Avenue during a public meeting Wednesday at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue.
House caucus introduces Great Lakes legislation
A bipartisan group of House representatives has introduced legislation that, in simple terms, would provide significant funding for improving water quality in the Great Lakes. The legislation, introduced by the House Great Lakes Caucus, is called the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013; the name may sound familiar since Senator Charles Schumer…
RCSD Superintendent Vargas won’t concede to charters
If the Rochester school district doesn’t start improving soon, charter schools will become the dominant force in the district, city schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas said in a recent interview.
Rochester is ground zero of abortion debate this week
The national anti-abortion-rights group Operation Save America, formerly Operation Rescue, is in Rochester this week. The city was chosen for the group’s 2013 national profile event. The group, which is often characterized as a Christian fundamentalist organization that also opposes gay rights and Islam, has been holding events throughout the city. Today, members are expected…
WallTherapy 2013 Update: The artists speak
Thursday was Day 7 of the 10-day Wall\Therapy street-art festival, with at least eight murals completed and many more nearing completion. Wednesday night, an artist talk was held at School of the Arts, which included a panel of six muralists who engaged in a discussion led by Wall\Therapy co-founder Dr. Ian Wilson. The panel included…
Commissioner King comes down on Buffalo schools
Nearly a year ago, Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas ended his comments in a public meeting with an ominous statement. “We’re running out of time,” he said, referring to the need to improve student performance. In an interview earlier today, Vargas said that all the community has to do is look west at the Buffalo…
COMIDA approves Xerox benefits
This morning, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency’s board approved a package of property and sales tax incentives for Xerox. Xerox sought the incentive for a potential expansion of its Webster toner production plant. Under the package, Xerox would get approximately $441,500 worth of tax breaks over a 10-year period. The company says it’ll create…
Some thoughts on student loan interest rates
I’ve read a couple of stories today about Democratic senators, including New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, who oppose a compromise student loan interest bill. For what it’s worth, they’re right to oppose the bill. The bipartisan compromise legislation that the White House backs would immediately set interest rates for federally subsidized undergraduate loans…
Feedback 07-24-13
Facing the art I take umbrage at Dr. Wilson’s diagnoses of our response as “acute inflammation followed by quiescence” (“Worlds Collide on Walls: Wall/Therapy”). Although I am no physician, I would be inclined to call the current status as “chronic indignation.” We understand that continued public comment is useless since the works are generally on…
“Girl Most Likely”
Amid the reverberating thunder of the seasonal spectaculars, a movie without any special effects should reassure audiences that Hollywood has not yet destroyed the world with planetary collision, climate catastrophe, thermonuclear war, or all those tiresome zombies. A modest little romantic comedy and a quintessential chick flick, “Girl Most Likely,” provides a modicum of relief…
Chiptune | Anamanaguchi
Imagine sitting down to tackle an old video game. You are treated to an assortment of 8-bit tunes. Imagine the surprise then, when the various melodies resemble actual songs with a keen sense for pop sensibilities and are so catchy they slightly distract you from the game initially. As the game proceeds you feel the…
“The Way, Way Back”
It’s been a big year for films of the “and nothing was ever the same after that summer” genre. Between “Mud,” “The Kings of Summer,” and now “The Way, Way Back,” teenage boys have been coming of age all over your multiplex. (I swear I didn’t mean to make that sound quite so filthy…) If…
Americana | Tina and Her Pony
Based out of New Mexico, folk duo Tina and Her Pony combine a love for traditional Appalachian folk with “radical, queer lyrics, uncommon instrumentation and vocals tighter than your mama’s brazier.” All joking aside, the duo’s harmonies are truly something to be noted, featuring two voices that meld together to create a smooth, pleasant, rarely…
Nikki Hill
All hyperbole aside, St. Louis-based soul shouter Nikki Hill is one of the best roots-rock singers I have ever seen. And I’ve seen quite a few. And I’m not just talking about the stars of now, but of all time. I rate her up there with Wanda Jackson, Barbara Pittman, Etta James, and Ruth Brown.…
Rock | Revolution Fest
I don’t get the revolution reference entirely here. I mean, the festival includes 35 of Rochester’s best hard and heavy bands. Sounds like a majority to me. You can have your head and your eardrums handed back to you in a bag if you witness this incredibly relentless line-up. This ain’t no battle. It’s a healthy…
Pain threshold
Few medical conditions have as complicated and far-reaching of an impact on the economy and health care coverage as pain. The Mayo Clinic reports that the cost of pain on employee productivity is more than $47 billion annually. But the treatment of pain is extremely controversial. Opioids — medications like Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet —…
Rock | Officer Friendly
In the early 1990s Officer Friendly was Rochester’s window into the post-grunge, return-to-rock world of bands like Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. The band developed a huge following of the hard rock faithful and released two independent albums before hanging it up in search of other adventures. Now begins phase two. Let’s hope it…
East Main revival
Two developers are interested in reinventing a couple of important Rochester landmarks.
Singer/Songwriter | Indians
Copenhagen’s Soren Lokke Juul spent a decade performing in less-than-chart-topping bands until the Dane made a music video for his song “Magic Kids” on his iPhone. The clip gained momentum, the sound was fresh, and the melodies contagious. Indians is, at the end of the day, Juul and Juul alone, although he has procured backing…
FESTIVAL | Ten Ugly Men Festival
The 24th Annual Ten Ugly Men Festival will take place on Saturday, July 27, enabling participants a day full of partying while they help support local charities. The event takes place 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in Genesee Valley Park (1000 E River Rd.), and benefits The Bright Eyes Fund for pediatric brain tumor treatment at Golisano…
Jazz | Mark Kellogg and Tony Caramia
“Together Again” is the title of the upcoming concert featuring trombonist Mark Kellogg and pianist Tony Caramia. It not only alludes to the length of time since the two musicians have performed together in Kilbourn Hall, it also recalls the title of the second duet record by pianist Bill Evans and singer Tony Bennett. Kellogg…
Changing channels
Time Warner Cable is not taking away PBS. Earlier this month, the cable company informed its Western New York subscribers via a letter that it’s changing how it carries public, educational, and government access television stations. These aren’t public stations in the PBS sense, even though some subscribers clearly believe they are. They’re better known…
R & B | R. Kelly
Oh, R. Kelly, what don’t you do? In town on the most recent leg of his tour to promote “Write Me Back” before he heads off to South Africa, Kelly is also working on his memoir, and to show us he’s still got it as an auteur… more chapters of “Trapped in the Closet,” just…
Design redo
Morgan Management has submitted a revised plan for a proposed apartment development at 933 University Avenue. | The proposal has faced opposition from some neighborhood groups over its size and density. Eastman House officials oppose the project, too, as they had hoped to acquire the land. | Morgan Management has revised its plans several times…
ART | Irondequoit Art Trail
A rare opportunity to see Irondequoit artists at work is offered to the public this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, July 26-27, multiple Irondequoit artists exhibit their work during “Irondequoit Art Trail.” Visitors will have the chance to watch artists create, purchase artwork, and witness various demonstrations, with some hands-on opportunities. Participating artists include Howard…
WORKSHOP | Beekeeping Event
We’ve known for a while now that the honeybees are in trouble, and some people understand that this means we are in trouble too, because our ability to feed ourselves depends on the wee beasts. Recent studies have finally confirmed what many feared was true — that the big hit their populations have taken has…
“Rent”
As I imagine everybody knows by now, in the early 1990’s the composer-lyricist Jonathan Larson had the inspiration of reimagining Puccini’s “La Bohème” among the boho set in New York’s Alphabet City. The show, titled “Rent,” was a smash hit on Broadway, won every award imaginable (including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama), made a ton…
FESTIVAL | Native American Dance & Music Festival
This weekend, Friends of Ganondagan will celebrate Native America’s rich culture with the 22nd Annual Native American Dance & Music Festival, which features Native performers, artists, and family activities at Ganondagan State Historic Site (1488 State Rte. 444, Victor). The festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Celtic Fusion musician, “the…
Urban Action 07-24-13
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.) Youth workshop explores religions Nazareth College will host the “Next Generation 2013 Youth Interfaith Encounter,” a weeklong workshop for area youth to explore and discuss the world’s religions. The event will be held…
LECTURE | Growing Up Gandhi
As progressive human rights movements take hold and work against imperialism, colonialism, and their ugly, many-headed children, it’s surprisingly easy for the newer generations to forget the fight and overlook that there will always be more work to be done. One good way to avoid taking advancements of the underdogs for granted is to remain…
Changing my mind about charter schools
Right now, 10 charter schools are operating in the City of Rochester. Soon, you can expect to see more. The Farash Foundation plans to award up to $1 million in grants to spur charter growth in the region. While the grants will be available to selected charter schools in Monroe and Ontario Counties, nearly all…
RECREATION | Focus on Trees Program
Rochester Museum & Science Center’s 900 acre Cumming Nature Center (6472 Gulick Road, Naples) will offer a new exploratory program on trees, beginning this weekend. Focus on Trees is a series of guided walks for all ages with Dave Gotham, director of CNC. Each informative woodland walk will highlight a specific tree species with facts…
Finger Lakes Choral Festival
Rochester boasts an unusual number of choral groups, and when summer rolls around, most of those large choruses, small ensembles, school groups, and church choirs take a break. But choral singers still want to sing choral music. Luckily there are a few summertime outlets for them. Rochester’s Really Big Choral Show each summer is the…
Espada Brazilian Steak
If you do a Google image search for “rodízio,” a Brazilian-style restaurant in which servers continually bring diners food until the patron signals they’ve had enough to eat, one of the first images you’ll see is a man sitting in a restaurant. Before him is a table cluttered with dishes, food scraps and used utensils. His…
New focus on Rochester’s at-risk male students
This is a corrected version of this blogIt’s been more than a year since Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas launched efforts to significantly expand the amount of time students spend in school. The concept, often referred to as expanded learning, usually extends the amount of time students receive instruction in core subjects. And students are…
