Cover Story
Photographing Rochester one pay phone at a time
For most people, pay phones are obsolete. But they remain a lifeline for the poor, and photographer Eric Kunsman is documenting what’s left of them in Rochester.
Eastman Opera Theatre presents intriguing double bill
From November 7 through 10, Eastman Opera Theatre’s Stephen Carr directs the group in a dual production of composer Kurt Weill’s pre-World War II cantata “Mahagonny Songspiel” and Viktor Ullmann’s “Der Kaiser von Atlantis” — written while the composer was a prisoner of the Nazis at the Terezín concentration camp.
Adam Bello defeats Cheryl Dinolfo in Monroe County Executive Race
Adam Bello, the 39-year-old Democrat who ran for Monroe County executive on the notion that “our community needs a government as good as its people,” persuaded enough of them to elect him to the office Tuesday. His victory over the incumbent, Cheryl Dinolfo, brings to an end 27 years of Republican rule in the office…
Doorley fends off challenger
This year’s Monroe County district attorney race smoldered through August and September, but suddenly turned into a blaze last month. The hard-fought contest saw Republican incumbent Sandra Doorley challenged by Democrat Shani Curry Mitchell, who served under her as a prosecutor for more than five years. Doorley will hang on to the job though; with…
Rochester voters overwhelmingly approve Police Accountability Board
Rochester voters overwhelmingly approve Police Accountability Board City of Rochester voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the creation of Police Accountability Board, setting the stage for a legal challenge from the union representing city police. Whether to create such a board was put to voters in the form of a referendum that, with about 50 percent…
Mid-day voter turnout up
Twenty-one percent of registered voters in the county had cast a ballot by 2:30 p.m., according to a sampling of election districts.
Another Housing Authority employee charged with fraud
Janis White is accused of using a property development company to submit false invoices to Rochester Housing Charities.
Early voting ends with nearly 13,900 ballots cast in Monroe County
The total represents about 3 percent of the county’s registered voters.
Monroe County unions cry foul over HR email
A campaign ad for Cheryl Dinolfo greeted county workers who clicked on a link from their HR director.
The F Word: Black market prom
Luchadors and velour dinner jackets: CITY Music Writer Frank De Blase catches sets by Los Straitjackets, Televisionaries, Brian Lindsay, and Pentagram.
Human Trafficking Court will cover all of Monroe County
The Rochester Human Trafficking Court is expanding its services to include towns and villages around Monroe County, with the help of a federal grant. The effort began in 2013 through Rochester City Court. State Supreme Court justice Craig Doran said that around that time the state’s former Chief Judge Jonathan Lipmann opened his eyes to…
Dinolfo’s pre-Election Day surprise – a property tax rate cut
But Dinolfo’s budget calls for collecting more property taxes than ever.
Album review: ‘1979’
Motörhead ‘1979’ BMG imotorhead.com We could rave on and on about all the fan-friendly goodies in the new Motörhead box set, “1979,” and wait with bated breath as BMG plans on rolling out future releases. But don’t let the swag overshadow the music. It was Motörhead’s frontman and founder Lemmy Kilmister who once bemoaned that…
Dinolfo talks up county spending on children and families
County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo’s proposed 2020 budget includes $560 million for social services and other programs for families and children. But half of that funding comes from the federal and state governments.
KIDS | Rochester Children’s Book Festival
The 23rd Rochester Children’s Book Festival, presented by Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI) takes place this weekend, featuring 50 authors and illustrators who will present a full day of talks, workshops, and story times. More than 30 Rochester area authors will attend, including Newbery Medal-winner Linda Sue Park; Edgar Award-winner Vivian Vande Velde,…
LITERATURE | Jewish Book Festival
Celebrating 27 years, the annual Louis S. Wolk JCC Lane Dworkin Rochester Jewish Book Festival this year features 21 authors, thinkers, and speakers on topics ranging from politics to history, comedy, health, and food (including a Thursday, November 7, talk by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, authors of “Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious”; pictured). The…
FAMILY | ‘Ave-O-Ween’
This Thursday, October 31, on Halloween proper, youths aged 11 to 16 are welcome to safely celebrate the holiday at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre’s second annual, family-friendly “Ave-o-Ween Neighborhood Block Party.” The community event features a Trunk-or-Treat with 105.5 The Beat serving candy, hot chocolate, soup, face-painting, and prize giveaways. The Ave-O-Ween Glow Party with…
THEATER | ‘Boom’
From the pen of young playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb comes “Boom,” a circa-2008 apocalyptic comedy about a marine biologist and a journalism student who meet via the internet for a hookup — advertised as “sex to change the course of the world” — for the sake of the biologist’s research. Local theater company Out of…
THEATER | ‘The Niceties’
Geva Theatre’s latest production continues an ongoing commitment to both diverse subject matter and selected crew members. “The Niceties,” by female playwright Eleanor Burgess, features a two-person, female cast and a female director, Nicole Watson. It focuses on a black activist student, Zoe, who challenges her white, baby boomer professor on a college paper grade.…
JAZZ | Olli Hirvonen’s New Helsinki
“Breathtaking” might be the first word that comes to mind when you hear the music of Finnish guitarist Olli Hirvonen. His seemingly impossible dexterity is matched by his propulsive phrasing and imaginative melodic leaps. It’s not surprising that he won the 2016 Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition, especially considering the fact that the jury was headed…
ART | Fine Crafts Show & Sale
This weekend is the Memorial Art Gallery’s 19th annual Fine Craft Show & Sale, a three-day event featuring one-of-a-kind and limited-edition works by more than 40 artists. The opening party (Friday, November 1, 6 to 9 p.m.) includes complimentary hors-d’oeuvres and a cash bar, live music, a reception with the artists, and the first chance…
WORLD BEAT-REGGAE | Root Shock
Sometimes when listening to a reggae, funk or soul-tinged band, you can get exposed to what I like to call “groove hyperbole.” This isn’t a bad thing, but it can confuse you as to who is in charge. In the case of Root Shock, it’s like the Syracuse band’s energy supersedes the band itself; the…
ROOTS ROCK | Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
Just when you think roots-rockers Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys had uncovered every dusty jewel in the genre, its subgenres, and its sub-subgenres, the band comes out with “What a Dream It’s Been,” a collection of fan favorites, all reworked and acoustified. Touring the planet for 30 years now, the band is a group…
State taps Fairport for direction on electric vehicles
How a tiny village got the New York Power Authority charged up.
CHORAL | Rochester Oratorio Society’s ‘Magnificat’
One of the Book of Luke’s most influential passages is probably the Magnificat, Mary’s canticle of praise to the Lord. Its words — which begin, “My soul doth magnify the Lord” — have inspired numerous composers, from popular works by Vivaldi and J.S. Bach to the three less-familiar examples represented on this Friday’s Rochester Oratorio…
ALTERNATIVE ROCK | The Cordial Sins
Painting sepia-toned portraits of life in the Midwest, The Cordial Sins maintain a balance between dreamy, floral pop and grungy alt-rock. Inspired by life-flashing moments from its first national tour, the band has just released its new EP, “In Memory,” via Diversion Records. Vocalist Liz Fisher sings indie rock melodies with silky smoothness, similar to…
CLASSICAL | Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
RPO Music Director Ward Stare’s program for this week’s concert features two very different works from 1919. Cellist Andrei Ioniță (pictured), who was a powerhouse a couple of seasons ago in Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto, returns as soloist in Edward Elgar’s magnificently melancholic concerto, first performed (unsuccessfully) in 1919. That’s also the year that Igor Stravinsky fashioned…
Feedback 10/30
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. CITY’s announcement…
Urban Action 10/30
This week’s call to action includes the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.) City giving update on Torres Park The City of Rochester’s Department of Recreation and Youth Services will hold a community meeting and update on Don Samuel Torres Park. on Monday, November 4, from…
Monroe County Jail phone call prices to plummet
With a balance of $3.4 million, the Monroe County Jail “Telephone Trust Fund” has enough to let inmates make phone calls for free.
2019 RMHOF inductee Christine Lavin plays Café Veritas
Folk singer-songwriter Christine Lavin is a bon vivant. She is a born entertainer, but the SUNY Brockport graduate is also a connector with a tremendous social circle.
Album review: ‘The Fine Line’
Bob Sheppard ‘The Fine Line’ Challenge Records bobsheppard.net You may not have heard of saxophonist Bob Sheppard, but you’ve surely heard him play. He’s worked with Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, and Herbie Hancock on the jazz side, and Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, and Steely Dan in the pop realm. Released last May, Sheppard’s excellent album…
Eastman School’s China tour to go on despite student ban
The Eastman School of Music plans to go ahead with an upcoming scheduled eight-city orchestral tour of China, despite that country’s denial of visas to three members of the orchestra who are South Korean nationals.
MAG’s Mucha exhibit deeper than decorative arts
Even as we applaud their beautifying services, artists are often dismissed as dreamers and idealists, painting pictures that can serve as either mirrors of society or better-case-scenarios. This role has too often put a target on their backs.
Album review: The Space Between Disguises
Simone Baron & Arco Belo ‘The Space Between Disguises’ GenreFluid simonebaron.bandcamp.com When I read in the liner notes for Simone Baron & Arco Belo’s forthcoming album — out November 8 — that Baron’s ensemble was “genre-queer,” I thought this was a bold appropriation of a gender term. But after listening, I realized that “The Space…
Levantine’s brings flavors of the Middle East to the west side
Many times, people think of Middle Eastern food as just lamb and beef kebabs, or shawarma seasoned to various spice levels. Though there are plenty of chicken and beef pitas and kebabs on Levantine’s menu, there are just as many fresh salads and small vegetarian plates. No one will leave hungry.
Film preview: Rochester Polish Film Festival
Spotlighting some of the best that contemporary Polish cinema has to offer, this year’s Polish Film Festival includes an eclectic mix of subjects and genres. Moral ambiguity is deeply explored in stories about love triangles, war, and who is worthy of redemption.
