“Uh, I got a BFA, dude.”ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย He spits
out that last word as if he had a mouthful of raw dog. It’s his stock reply to
the Bug Jar denizens who have bellied up to the bar over the last few weeks and
remarked, “Wow, Herman, you paint?”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย If you’ve
been to the Bug Jar in the last… well, ever, you’ve no doubt crossed paths with
Angelo “Herman” Gatto. Around the turn of the century
he settled in behind the bar, and for some time before that he DJ’d its rowdy Friday nights. Over the past decade,
however, in between the drink slinging and vinyl spinning, Herman has been
painting, evidence of which will adorn the walls of the Bug Jar through mid
March.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Herman
wields the aforementioned Bachelor’s in painting and photography but confessed
his ideas usually start off as doodles on cocktail napkins (naturally) before
they’re translated onto canvas.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย As he
walked me through the installation he copped to a longstanding obsession with
Big Boy, the star of a couple of pieces. Glug (the pink blob) represents
“a certain helpless person I know” while The
Three Phases of Drunkenness chronicles “my transformation from a nice guy
to an asshole.” And My Baby Left Me at
the Liquor Store (the girl on wheels) was inspired by the one who got away.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Herman was
actually kind enough to offer to write this piece for me, and the obvious
Renaissance man whipped up a draft on a napkin he had used at Mark’s Texas Hots. It mentioned that he loves The Sadies
and club sandwiches, covets left-handed guitars, and lives with a “pet
hipster.” I think it also said something about Australian moms, but the Tabasco
stain made it tough to read.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The moral of this story? Don’t think for a minute that the Jรคgerbomb you just ordered is a man’s reason for being.
— DaynaPapaleo
Mains starts his run for mayor
Other presumed candidates for Rochester
mayor are still being coy, but on Friday veteran City Councilmember Tim Mains
made his move, announcing that he’ll seek the Democratic nomination.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Mains’ decision
pretty much guarantees that the Democratic primary campaign will have some
sparks: In temperament, he tends to be more aggressive than fellow
Councilmember Wade Norwood, Police Chief Bob Duffy, and School Board Member
Darryl Porter, all of whom are expected to seek the nomination.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Mains, who
is in his 19th year on City Council, is principal of School 50 in Rochester.
The decision to run for mayor, he said early this week, was a hard one. “But I
had to do it,” he said. “I don’t believe the others are going to be willing to
tackle the issues that need to be tackled.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Among those
issues: education — particularly the often-contentious relationship between
City Hall and the school district. “I don’t believe anybody understands the
complexity we’re dealing with,” he said. “Changing the schools isn’t just about
changing what’s happening in our schools. It’s about tackling poverty head-on
— and not just a job-training program here, a half-way house there.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “If the
[larger] community has decided to warehouse all of the poor in the city and in
certain sections of the city, we have to address that head-on.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We have
the highest child-poverty rate in the entire state,” said Mains. “The depth of
poverty in certain segments of the city affects housing values. I want people
to recognize that they have a personal stake in this. I don’t think other
people [other candidates] will talk about it in the race, and I don’t believe
the others have the passion about it that I do.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Mains will
also focus on economic development, a longtime concern of his on Council. “Our
approach to economic development is project-based, not strategic,” he said.
“Everyone is desperate for the next big project: Are we going to get RenaissanceCenter? Are we going to get a
stadium? Not that those projects aren’t important, but we need a strategic
approach. And it can’t be done by the city alone.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “There
needs to be a strategic effort in increasing small business in the city,” said
Mains. “And downtown revitalization: There’s no excuse for downtown being a
ghost town. We have not put our collective will into turning things around. I’m
tired of hearing that retail doesn’t work downtown. It does in other cities.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I believe
we’re at a crossroads,” said Mains, “and it demands a very active, hands-on,
aggressive mayor.”
— Mary Anna Towler
No comment
With a wealth of opinion about Renaissance Square, you might
think people would be flocking to make sure theirs is heard where it really
counts.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The Genesee
Transportation Council has recommended $12.5 million in federal and state
funding for the Renaissance project. But two recent GTC public meetings, with
opportunities to comment on the funding, were sparsely attended, say officials.
According to GTC Program Manager Erik Frisch, a February 9 meeting in Henrietta
produced just two comments (both in favor), while one the following night at
the Rochester Public Library resulted in only five (all opposed).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “I’d say we
had 15 people at the [Rochester]
meeting, which was less than we wanted,” says Frisch. The other attendees were
there to comment on matters other than Renaissance Square.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย That
doesn’t mean that no one is commenting on the project, though. Through email,
snail mail and phone, the volume of comments is increasing, says Frisch.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “We’re
starting to build up,” he says. “It didn’t pick up as quickly as we would have
liked.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย If you’re
still holding onto your thoughts about Renaissance Square, time is running out
to share them with GTC. The deadline for comments to that organization is
Tuesday, February 22. Send them to GTC; 50 West Main
Street, Suite 8112; Rochester,
NY14614,
or to tipcomment@gtcmpo.org.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This is
just one part of the Renaissance Square development, however. The project is
being overseen by a new body called the Renaissance Square Corporation, headed
by Mark Aesch, who is also CEO of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation
Authority. Presumably there’ll be an opportunity to comment on the project to
the Corporation as well, as the plan develops.
— Krestia DeGeorge
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2005.
