City Newspaper

County Dems renew call for fracking ban

Jeremy Moule — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:11:00 -0400

For the second time this week, Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature are calling for a countywide fracking ban.

This afternoon, three members of the caucus laid out the framework for their desired ban.…

Rochester City Council extends gas-drilling moratorium

Jeremy Moule — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:40:00 -0400

Last night, City Council voted to extend a Rochester's moratorium on natural gas exploration and extraction for another year.

The resolution says the city extended the moratorium "in order to preserve and protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of and visitors to the City of Rochester from known and suspected dangers from natural gas exploration and extraction, while the effects of such activities in the city can be further studied."

The resolution also says research into gas exploration and extraction in urban areas has been inadequate.…

Castañeda out in Brockport

Christine Carrie Fien — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:28:28 -0400

Whatever momentum Brockport Mayor Maria “Connie” Castañeda got from her recent legal success wasn't enough to carry her to victory in yesterday’s village elections. Castañeda was soundly defeated in her re-election bid by Margay Blackman, a current village trustee and retired professor of anthropology at SUNY Brockport, 613 votes to 355 votes, according to unofficial results from the county Board of Elections.…

[UPDATED] Comptroller's Office says Monroe County is fiscally stressed

Jeremy Moule — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:36:00 -0400

[UPDATED 5:10 p.m.] County Executive Maggie Brooks just sent out this statement responding to the report from the Comptroller's Office:

"The Comptroller has confirmed what everyone already knows: crushing state mandates are threatening the fiscal stability of local governments. Using Mr. DiNapoli’s math, Monroe County would need to raise local taxes by $100 million to stay off of his list while paying for the mandates that account for 83% of our budget.…
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Women's Equality Act protects abortion rights, doesn't expand them

Jeremy Moule — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:43:00 -0400

Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed Women's Equality Act has come under fire because of its language about abortion.

Right now, abortion is regulated through the state's penal law.…

Rochester's grad rate dips

Tim Louis Macaluso — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:17:00 -0400

Slightly more than 43 percent of city students who entered ninth grade in 2008 graduated with a Regents diploma in June 2012, according to a statement released yesterday by the New York State Education Department. Often referred to as the four-year cohort, the city schools' graduation rate dropped about 1 percent from the prior year.…

GOP legislator backs fracking moratorium

Jeremy Moule — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:57:00 -0400

A Republican legislator in Monroe County has concerns about the state's review of high-volume hydraulic fracturing.

Joe Carbone, who represents part of Irondequoit, has submitted a memorializing referral — essentially an official letter of support for state or federal legislation — supporting two state fracking moratorium bills, A5424A and S4236A.…

Concert Review: 2013 East End Festival

Frank DeBlase — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:50:00 -0400

The East End was buzzing Friday night as it took a step back to an earlier time when the East End Festival was about the music and not an outdoor meat market. There were still plenty of quality cuts strolling about, but it was the excellent music line-up that made the night.…

This Week: Brockport elections, Mounted Patrol vote, Supremes rulings, chat with Vargas

City news staff — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:50:00 -0400

Brockport residents will hold elections to choose a mayor and two trustees. Mayor Maria Castañeda is seeking a second term, running against Margaret Blackman, a current village trustee and retired professor of anthropology at SUNY Brockport.…

Some Council members want to keep mounted patrol unit

Tim Louis Macaluso — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:23:00 -0400

There’s a last minute effort to save at least part of the Rochester Police Department’s mounted patrol unit. City Council President Lovely Warren, and Councilmembers Adam McFadden and Carolee Conklin have submitted legislation that would amend the city’s proposed 2013-2014 budget.…

Seneca settlement means no private casino for Rochester

Jeremy Moule — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:58:00 -0400

If the Rochester area gets a casino, it'll be operated by the Seneca Nation.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has submitted a bill to the Legislature that would allow privately-run casinos in New York.…

Concert Review: Party in the Park w/Southside Johnny

Frank DeBlase — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:34:00 -0400

It's not like they're pickling their bodies in alcohol or making arrangements to join Walt Disney and Ted Williams in frozen limbo, but at this rate let me Jimmy the Greek it for ya: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes are gonna be here forever. If the fork in the road gives you a choice of either The E Street Band or The Asbury Jukes, juke it, baby.…

New lake levels plan proposed

Jeremy Moule — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:17:00 -0400

The International Joint Commission is advancing yet another proposal to change how it regulates Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels. But the new proposal projects that shoreline property owners may face some additional costs from water damage, which is an issue that's driven their successful opposition to past plans.…

Orwell and '1984'

Tim Louis Macaluso — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:30:00 -0400

It shouldn’t come as a surprise in the fallout of the recent NSA leaks that sales of George Orwell’s novel “1984” have reportedly spiked on Amazon.com during the last few days.

But the rush to embrace Orwell’s dystopian vision might be a little misdirected.…

Legislature puts off vote on Dems' funding

Jeremy Moule — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:57:00 -0400

Last night's County Legislature meeting was dominated by debate over the county fair proposal. But something else significant happened.…

PHOTO: From East Broad Street at night

Jeremy Moule — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:42:00 -0400

By the time I got out of last night's County Legislature meeting it was pretty late, which means it was relatively quiet downtown. And quite beautiful.…

Legislature passes fair legislation

Jeremy Moule — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:07:00 -0400

As expected, last night the County Legislature approved a measure that establishes a county agricultural fair and fairgrounds at Northampton Park in Ogden. And, as expected, Republicans pushed the legislation through; Legislator John Lightfoot was the only Democrat to support it.…

Tim Mains lands schools superintendent job in Jamestown

Tim Louis Macaluso — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:19:00 -0400

The Jamestown school board has appointed Tim Mains - a longtime educator, politician, LGBT activist - as superintendent of that city’s public schools. Jamestown’s gain is a loss for Rochester.…

Kodak power plant deal could get OK

Jeremy Moule — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:51:00 -0400

Kodak's proposal to sell the Eastman Business Park's utilities system could soon move forward.

An order drafted by Public Service Commission staff green-lights the sale of the utilities to a subsidiary of Recycled Energy Development (RED). But the commission has to approve RED's request to operate gas, electric, and steam utilities before that can occur.…

Concert Review: The Lumineers, Cold War Kids, J Roddy Walston

Frank DeBlase — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:53:00 -0400

I'm amazed -- even scared a little -- of the fragility of the path that led me to something I love. If I hadn't been someplace in particular at a particular time I never would have met so-and-so, or experienced such-and-such.…

Week ahead: Council vote on school budget, Lej vote on Dem funding and Northampton Park

City news staff — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:41:00 -0400

Last month, the Rochester school board approved a $728 million school-district budget for the 2013-2014 school year. Now it’s City Council’s turn to scrutinize the plan.…

"Game of Thrones" Season 3, Episode 10: The finale that didn't feel like a finale

Eric Rezsnyak — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:23:00 -0400

I was fascinated to see how the showrunners would wrap up this season, especially given the intense public reaction to last episode’s Red Wedding. The answer is, they didn’t. Not really.…

Analysis finds racial disparity in pot arrests

Jeremy Moule — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:50:00 -0400

Blacks in Monroe County are 6.5 times more likely than whites to be arrested for possessing pot, says an analysis released today by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The organization looked at marijuana arrests in counties across New York from 2001 to 2010.…

Reductions at All City High may signal trend

Tim Louis Macaluso — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:53:00 -0400

Cuts to All City High’s teaching and non-teaching staff amount to a self-inflicted wound for the Rochester school district, says Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association. All City High’s instructional staff of about 120 teachers will be cut next school year to about 64, according to current plans, Urbanski says.…

State says Monroe Community Hospital is back on track

Jeremy Moule — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:20:00 -0400

County Executive Maggie Brooks's office sent out a press release today saying that the state Department of Health has found Monroe Community Hospital in compliance with state and federal standards.

The Department of Health revisited the hospital on June 3, according to a letter sent by the department to county officials.…