News Blog

Tuesday is Election Day, so if you’re eligible, go vote. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Monroe County.

City’s coverage of the various races throughout Monroe County is available here. Our endorsement of President Barack Obama is available here. All Monroe County registered voters can vote in the presidential, House, Senate, state Assembly, and state Senate elections.

The county Board of Elections’s online voter tool lets you check your polling place and see who’s on the ballot. — Jeremy Moule

The Rochester Preservation Board meets on Wednesday to help decide the fate of a historic church on West Main Street.

Marvin Maye, owner of the former Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main, wants to tear down the building and an adjoining house to build a Dollar General store and two additional commercial units on the site. But some neighbors and neighborhood groups say a Dollar General store would not fit with the revitalization going on in that area of West Main, which borders the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood and Bulls Head in southwest Rochester. They want to find a new use for the church, such as for an indoor mall or west-side performance space.

Wednesday’s meeting is at 6 p.m. in Council chambers at City Hall, 30 Church Street. The Preservation Board’s decision is meant to offer guidance to the Zoning Board, which has the final word on whether the church survives. That board meets on Thursday, November 29. — Christine Carrie Fien

SUNY Brockport Professor Joe Makarewicz will discuss aspects of the Great Lakes ecosystem at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue.

Makarewicz’s presentation is part of a Rochester League of Women Voters event examining a position on Great Lakes protection taken by the League of Women Voters of Michigan. He’ll explain how the Michigan organization’s position will help Leagues in New York advocate for Lake Ontario.

The Michigan League has called for limiting use of fragile shoreline areas, preserving wild and pristine areas, guarding against inappropriate or excessive water use and destruction of wetlands, and non-toxic control and removal of invasive species. The Rochester chapter concurs with the Michigan position, says a press release from the League. — Jeremy Moule