It was a big deal when legislative bodies in eight states signed on to an international agreement to limit large-scale transfers of water out of the Great Lakes basin. It was an even bigger deal when Congress ratified it.
In New York, there's...

When family and friends criticize the Rochester School District, I have to admit it kind of bugs me.
I usually listen and then say roughly the same thing: the challenges facing public education, particularly in urban schools, are extremely...

It's one of those events that you feel compelled to comment on, but I swear, words fail.
Last night, state senators decided they'd done all they needed to do on the public's behalf and walked off. What'd they do about the budget, which was...

Mayor Bob Duffy says that, at some point, probably in the fall, he'll be supporting other candidates for office.
This wasn't an unsolicited statement. When he came in recently to talk with City's editorial staff, I'd asked him if he would...

Gubernatorial candidate and state attorney general Andrew Cuomo seems to be getting some campaign mileage out of his pension crusade.
Cuomo came to town yesterday on attorney-general business: to talk about the results of a pension-padding study...

This week, city residents received a greeting in their water bills from Mayor Duffy. And this one, like one he sent out last year, is a jab at the city school district.
Duffy's insert is titled "City vs. School District Average Annual Wage...

Sunday's New York Times magazine provides yet another reason why the US needs to stop acting as if we alone are responsible for fighting terrorism.
Robert Worth's long article, "The Desert War," asks a question we'd all better focus on: Is Yemen...

Mayoral control may or may not make a difference in how efficiently the Rochester School District operates, but it's unlikely that it will have any impact on test scores and graduation rates.
That was the conclusion of two school principals I...

If you've been to a few planning and zoning meetings, you know the anger marathons they can become.
The Rochester Environmental Commission's public hearing last night on plans for a new East Avenue Wegmans was a virtual love fest by...

Democratic State Senate candidate Mary Wilmot and lieutenant governor candidate Bob Duffy have a lot in common, platform-wise.
They both stress the need to better control state spending, cut pension costs, and implement mayoral control for...

You can stop lighting candles and saying novenas, the South Wedge wedge -- a giant cheese sculpture, has been found. The sculpture went missing after Friday, July 9.

Here we are in 2010 and one of the main issues the LGBT community has been dealing with for years - violence - is still with us.
Murders of LGBT people as a result of hate violence are at the second-highest rate in a decade.
There were 22...

In today's paper we have a story about state farmland protection funding: how the state's making it easier for nonprofit land trusts to access the money while lawmakers simultaneously cut funding for the program.
The funding cut involves a...

It looks like Congress member Louise Slaughter's Republican challenger will be Jill Rowland, a dentist.
Rowland has filed petitions with the state Board of Elections. She's also got a campaign website.
On her website, Rowland says she was...

Mayor Bob Duffy has been chipping away at the mayoral control rock for more than six months, and the issue has bitterly divided the city. Rumors swirl about where the bill stands, and Duffy may still close the deal. But the sharp resistance to...

Yesterday was deadline day for major party candidates to submit their petitions. A few are still outstanding and will be valid as long as they're postmarked by yesterday's date.
A comprehensive rundown of who's running for what isn't yet...

I had to hold my sides reading the Democrat & Chronicle's editorial yesterday about nudging school boards to groom superintendent candidates.
Coming from the same editorial group that sanctions eliminating the city school board so the...

Six of our City News managers spent this past weekend in Toronto, at the annual convention of our important trade group, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies.
These are no resort-based weekend parties; they're two and a half days of...

Our trip to Toronto last week reinforced my conviction that the fast ferry was a terrific idea.
This particular trip could have been worse. It sometimes takes us more than an hour to get across the border. This time, there was hardly any wait at...

I had been looking forward to it for weeks: the Clarence flea market has always been a fun way to spend a Sunday morning. But as soon as I reached the parking lot yesterday, I knew something wasn't right.
Where were all the cars baking in the...