Job Information Center
My parents were champions of the
“unfortunate,” which meant that my 11 siblings and I were also involved.
Fundraisers, suppers, bake sales, Christmas morning package deliveries. You
name it. Our little army was out in force to serve the many people in our small
Southern Tier community who suddenly found themselves without a job, homeless,
injured, or just in need of a friend.
When I was 16, my father died. All of a
sudden, without the family breadwinner, the tables were turned and our family
became the “unfortunate.” It was then that I first realized the power of
caring. But more than that, I discovered the power of networking — connecting
people, resources, and services.
In recent years thousands of
breadwinners in our region have found themselves without a job. While I don’t
have a homegrown brigade to carry out my parents’ manner of lending a helping
hand, I can tell you about the Job Information Center (JIC) at the Central
Library.
Located on the fourth floor of the
building, its staff members can help patrons find employment listings from
local sources (JIC does not receive job postings from for-profit companies),
civil service postings, the Internet for both local and national sites, and job
search periodicals.
The department also provides hundreds
of study books for different types of tests, including armed forces, civil
service, professional licensing, and college entrance exams. Resources for
career exploration, resumes and cover letter preparation, and educational
planning are also available on a self-help basis. The JIC — a true family
value.
— Carolyn Schuler
This week for
families:
City Summer
Kids Club Mon-Fri
through Sept 3. For ages 6-10, various recreation centers, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $50
per week. 428-6767, www.cityofrochester.gov
Discover Music
Saturdays
in September. For kids ages 4-7, First Baptist Church of Rochester, 119 W Elm
St. Register by Aug 25. $55. 429-6754
Farm Sanctuary
Open House Mon,
Sept 6. Tours, meet the animals, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 607-583-2225,
www.farmsanctuary.org
Interfaith
Forum Essay Contest Deadline: Oct 29. Theme: Building community, bridging our
differences, grades 9-12. Info: www.ggw.org/buildingcommunity
RMSC
Strasenburgh Planetarium 657 East Ave. Pink Floyd Laser: 9 p.m. Sat; A Trip to
Saturn and Pluto: Wed-Sun, Sept 1-4, 1 p.m.; Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey: Wed-Fri,
Sept 1-3, 11 a.m., 2, 3, 4 p.m.; Sat, Sept 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 p.m.; Sun, Sept 5, 1,
2, 3, 4 p.m.; I See the Sky: Sat 9:30 a.m.; The Sky Tonight: Sat 10:30 a.m.;
Tix: $4-$7. 271-1880
Rochester
Museum and Science Center 657 East Ave. Surprise! It’s Science, through May 2005. |
Rochester’s Frederick Douglass, through January 2006. | Live Science! demos and
theater, Wed-Fri 3:30 p.m.; Sat 2, 3, 4 p.m.; Sun 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 p.m. Sat 3
p.m. show sign-interpreted. | Ongoing exhibits include: AdventureZone, Carlson
Inquiry Room, At the Western Door. | Hours: Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5
p.m. Tix: $5-$7. 271-1880, www.rmsc.org.
Seneca Park
Zoo 2222
St Paul St. Hours: daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tix: $5, $4 seniors, $2 kids. 467-9453,
www.senecazoo.org.
Strong Museum 1 Manhattan
Square. Long-term exhibits include National Toy Hall of Fame, Can You Tell Me
How To Get To Sesame Street? and Super Kids Market. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10 a.m.-5
p.m.; Fri 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m. Tix: $7; $6
seniors, students; $5 children. 263-2700
Be like Michael
When our children asked to join their
friends’ swim team, my wife and I were at best indifferent: wasn’t there
something vaguely cultish about the whole aquatic scene? Besides, swimming
interfered with longstanding plans to train — sorry, that’s encourage — our kids as future
basketball stars.
A year later we are unabashed champions
of the Rochester Rapids Swim Team, which has practiced for more than 30 years
in the Corn Hill neighborhood. It is the most affordable competitive swim team
in the area and, thanks to a grant from the Rochester Parks & Recreation
Department, available to all city kids regardless of income. Under the guidance
of coaches Amy Battaglia and Seth Reining, children improve their stroke
technique and stay in great shape throughout Rochester’s frigid winters;
involvement in meets is encouraged through a supportive, team-first outlook.
From a parent’s perspective, there’s
something poignant, even archetypal about a column of scrawny kids lining up to
ascend starting blocks, more or less diving into the pool, and thrashing their
way toward who knows where. Over the space of just a few months, my son’s
shark-attack stroke gave way to newfound accomplishments as a swimmer; my
daughter now can see herself becoming one of those graceful older girls on the
team who knife through sapphire waters. Basketball will have to wait.
During the months of September and
October, RRST offers a free 30-day trial period for prospective swimmers and
their families. For more information, contact the Adams Street Pool (428-7456)
or Chris Fitzstevens (473-6679).
— Ken Cooper
This article appears in Sep 1-7, 2004.
