Comment Archives: stories
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
Serious? Another "NO" vote for a project which can help this area and the city of Rochester in one fell swoop? This has GOT to be the most calcified mentality toward development that I've ever seen in the many cities in which I've lived. I live in NOTA. I own rental property in NOTA. And I welcome this development! I live here because I like urban density. I like people on the street. I like businesses nearby that will only come and thrive if there are people there to purchase their goods. As for my rentals, the more peope who want to live in this area the easier it is for me to rent mine. How any business in the area (see Craft Company No6 opposition) can possibly argue against this is beyond me.
And, if you've not noticed, the City of Rochester is cash starved. How can turning a parcel from a tax exempt one to one paying taxes be anything but a good thing? I support Eastman House, but stop your whiny baby tactics and claims as to "your viewshed". It is NOT your viewshed, and if you had wanted to preserve or develop it differently you've had a number of years in which to do so. You negotiated in bad form, and now you've lost it. That's the private marketplace. Deal.
Re: “Owners of Craft Company No. 6 speak out against University Ave. project”
I live in this neighborhood and I own rental property in this neighborhood. I'm happy that this is being proposed and I hope it is built. Urban areasa are only urban areas if you have density. And much like a gravitational field, the more mass you have the more gets attracted to your location. How a business owner (ie. Craft Company No6) can arge so against their own self interest is beyond me. I don't know how they stay in business now with the little traffic I see there. I would think they'd be begging for this development.
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
BTW, just what does Prof. Obama's election have to do with the price of tea? Does anybody actually think he has something in common with the population that is the subject of this report? For all intents he is as much the beneficiary of white privilege as anyone else. On the other hand, many of the report's findings could apply to similarly situated people of other hues.
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
I 4th these notions!! How come nobody EVER brings up the biggest issue - having kids before you're ready. Stopping that would fix many of the other problems that come up. And it's not like getting pregnant is some disease you catch, there are easy and well-documented ways to prevent it. Of course, if your parent(s) didn't choose to use these methods, it might not be immediately obvious to you. It all starts with the PARENTS!!!
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
The transition from poverty to working class is the easiest of the upward transitions to be made and people born into a disadvantaged set of circumstances are in the prime position to enjoy some upward mobility, regardless of race or neighborhood. Being self-made has some unique benefits that being born with a silver spoon does not convey. Hard work builds character and a key motivating factor is to provide better opportunities for your kids than you had.
My inclination is that the failure to thrive discussed here is not due to people being black, or people being in the city, but it's primarily a lifestyle choice of the people described, e.g. a conscious decision to indulge in unproductive behaviors while gaming the social safety net instead of undertaking the hard work of self improvement, or perhaps just not realizing that there's another way to live due to lack of role models.
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
Echoing the other comments, the elephant in the room, to judge from this summary, is the self-perpetuating cycle of casual immorality and bastardy. Nothing will change absent an overwhelming moral and spiritual awakening.
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
It's like Katy said you will have more children in poverty when Mom & Dad are 15 years old. They aren't going to be the CEO of some company. It's time for those in poverty to take responsability to teach thier young to STAY in school, work hard & wait to have kids. I wasn't handed everything, I had to claw my way to were I'm at. My grandparents learned english when they moved here with nothing, both parents were poor growing up & made it to the middle class. Each generation we try to improve our kids education. You got to suck it up & roll up your sleeves.
Re: “Blacks, poverty, and the future of Rochester”
The economic realities will remain bleak until the concepts of birth control and family planning are understood. It is pretty hard to 'raise' six children, with six different exCon/BabyDaddies with no money and no education. And that is the problem: they are not 'raised' they are released to the streets and the 'village' or 'aunts' , 'cousins' or 'grandparents.' If you look at successful black and Hispanic people, what they have in common is THEY WAITED TO HAVE CHILDREN UNTIL THEY COULD SUPPORT THEM. (Emotionally and financially)
Re: “Reading program helps stave off the 'summer slide'”
Yugoboy:
First, thanks for your comment. In answer to the question you pose, no one will like the answer, but money is an issue. Elaine Spaull went and shook the trees so to speak for more financial help this year, which is surprising since the program's coordinators have compiled some good research from the program that's quite supportive. Students from poor households are lucky to have one or two books in the home, while middle class suburban children are frequently provided with hundreds. And children who often don't receive gifts or items in the mail take a special interest in something that is addressed to them personally. It's hard to imagine that something so subtle can have such a big impact.
Tim
Re: “Reading program helps stave off the 'summer slide'”
Finally a reform I can get behind!
Why? It addresses one of the root causes of scholastic inadequacy and targets the fixes where they need to be: students and the families. If we can find a way to get parents on board this could really make a difference.
Will this solve all the problems? No.
If maintained beyond initial thrust, will it have a measurable impact? Probably - IF maintained.
Will it have a longer lasting impact on the people who actually need the help than current "reforms"? Absolutely.
Could a follow-up report possibly let us know how we as individuals can help move this forward to become available to children in all the city schools?
Re: ““Game of Thrones” Season 3, Episode 6: Pinky swear”
Thanks for connecting the dots. I didn't read the books...well, that's a lie. I read the first and couldn't get past the first chapter in the second.So the show is all new to me and I am not aware if the plot line has deviated from the books etc. I do find it all fairly confusing tho.
Re: ““Game of Thrones” Season 3, Episode 6: Pinky swear”
Thanks - that makes a lot more sense!
Re: “Owners of Craft Company No. 6 speak out against University Ave. project”
I didn't realize there was a building ban near firehouses. Funny, all the other city firehouses seem to do just fine in busy neighborhoods. I really grow tired of this NIMBY attitude in Rochester, this section of University Ave is nothing like the "East Ave Preservation District", this apartment plan more than fits in and will only benefit the neighborhood. People go to George Eastman to look in, not out, and the viewshed won't be largely affected. Besides GE himself was all for the progress of this City, he wouldn't want it stifled in his name by a bunch of NIMBYS.
1.) Might be the only valid complaint, however the neighborhood is filled with LARGE 3 story buildings and the new building would be in the area of several multi-story buildings
2.)Sounds like NIMBYS have stifled progress for too long.
3.)See above paragraph
4.)Invented issue, there is landscape screening the building from the GEH
5.) Not entirely true, the highrise at University and Goodman and the FlatIron building at Univesity and Atlantic would be bigger.
6.)This is true of almost all buildings on that stretch of University Ave.
7.) Valid point, but new trees will be planted and hardly seems like a valid reason to stop the project. Retool yes, stop no.
8.) Semi-true, this is a popular, urban neighborhood parking can be tough. Its a sign of an active neighborhood where people want to be. However, street parking on University is easy to find the majority of the time. Second this is more a symptom of a regional dependence on the car and our unwillingness to bike/walk/bus even the shortest of distances. The parking will be able to handle residents which is good enough.
9.) So what? Rush hour is 20 minutes in Rochester, again its a sign of vibrancy. Also part of #8 and the automobile dependence.
10.) Can be handled with traffic engineering and street design.
11.) A problem that's yet to happen, handle it when it occurs. Again a very minor problem. People cut through parking lots on corners to avoid lights, does that mean we ban corner gas stations? Reaching at straws
12.) Another invented problem, RFD has firehouses on Monroe Ave, Lyell Ave, North Clinton, Hudson, Dewey, North Goodman, Genesee, South, and Wisconsin which frequently goes through the E. Main intersection. All dense neighborhoods with busy vehicular traffic with no problems.
13.) Minor problem, needs to be retooled, no need to scrap the project,
There you go, a point by point rebuttal. These concerns are all fabricated or overblown.
Re: “Rochester's apartment boom”
Brett Garwood is obviously out of touch, along with the city's demo program. They are destroying fragile neighborhoods and ensuring the will never return without significant city reinvestment (luckily City Hall can funnel that money through their friends and campaign donors). People will buy older homes with small yards and no driveways, if they wouldn't Park Ave, Susan B Anthony, and the South Wedge would be empty. Ironically, the South Wedge is seeing a major boom, Park Ave is doing fine as ever, and Susan B. Anthony is seeing a lot of interest. City Hall is way out of touch, people are moving or staying in the city because of the neighborhoods. City Hall is trying to suburbanize JOSANA and other neighborhoods, Sorry but if I want a suburban house I'll go to the 'burbs. This wanton destruction of at risk neighborhoods needs to stop. Its a waste of money and many of the houses demo'd are in good shape while actual dilapidated houses are left standing. Less money could be used to get the house back into use and it would contribute to the tax rolls. No one wants to live in a neighborhood where the street is 50% empty. The only neighborhoods that have seen natural, organic revitalization are those that remain largely intact. Corn Hill has only seen a resurgence because of massive city and private investment.
Alex White makes a good point about the loans, subsidies, grants, and infrastructure improvements the city does. Most of the projects subtract from the city coffers, not add. College Town costs Rochester $17 mill in street improvements, and we won't even see a penny in tax "profit" until 20 years down the road. That's if the developer doesn't default on the $20 million loan that city got on their behalf (just like Sibley and Wilmot), which well be stuck with if they fail to pay.
Re: “"RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 5 Reunion: The winner revealed!”
Wonderful conclusion, and for once Rupaul got it right , Jinkx monsoon was the true superstar and clear winner. I love Alyssa Edward but even a starlike her saw Jinkx as the one to beat. I will cherish this season as the most memorable and was so happy to see a Star Born.
Re: ““Game of Thrones” Season 3, Episode 6: Pinky swear”
I believe he said "fringed" sleeves.
Re: “Richards gives sober State of the City address, with an appearance by Spider-Man”
Hi darlingdyan - In short, no. The speech was not delayed this year and is usually given during this season.
Re: “"RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 5 Reunion: The winner revealed!”
I was rooting for Alaska, too. Out of all the queens, she seemed to grow the most. She's not a comic, she's just naturally funny. I'm happy that Jinkx won because there's a lot of talent there that could go in all sorts of directions. Jinkx was also a little kinder and not as ruthless as some of the queens (Roxxxy!). And Lineysha, girl really? She actually returned to the show only to tell Ru that she still didn't know who Diana Ross is! Considering she's one of Ru's inspirations, she could have Googled her or faked it or something!
Re: “"RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 5 Reunion: The winner revealed!”
I think Jinkx is the clear winner here. She is very talented and will only get better with time. But Jinkx took the high road and seemed much more secure in herself as well as a maturity level above anyone else. She endured a lot of bullying not only by Roxxxy but also by Coco and Detox. Roxxxy just never wowed me. If I went to see a Drag Show and she was headlining I,d be quited bored. Alaska I thought really came on towards the end . Ill Poundcake was hysterical and her one line jabs off camera were hilarious. My only issue with Alaska is that she she didn't break from "Rolodex" sooner. Detox was the biggest disappointment of the season. Detoxes look in the reunion shattered anything she wore during the season . By the way..where was Detox this season? She clearly has it all but for whatever reason didn't bring it this season. Alyssa Edwards is the break out star this season by far. This girl doesn't even know how funny she is . She totally outshined Coco who just couldn't let go of a ridiculous pageant contest(really?) I thought season 5 was just as good as any of the seasons to be honest. Each had its only flavor and my only regret is I wish Ru would go back to the season reunion where the girls all talk candidly as opposed to this almost scripted insincere awkward finale. If she wants to do a live finale please don't deprive the viewers of the queens talking about the season honestly .if you need to add another show please do because I have been left these last 2 seasons wanting answers to my own questions. I miss when the girls talk honestly . Otherwise I'm already waiting for season 6!!!!!!