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Women at work: The state of gender equity
Sujatha Ramanujan wonders if she ever was the first choice for a senior leadership position. She finds that women have to work harder to earn their titles than their male peers. “I was considered only if a white male turned it down first, even if I was a better candidate,”...
East superintendent shares budget draft with RCSD board
The expected exit from receivership of East’s Upper School would mean a loss of $325,000 in funding. However, other sources of funds, including Title I, are anticipated to continue. Those were among the details that East superintendent Marlene Blocker shared with the Rochester City School Board last week. “We...
Startup scholarship aims to launch more tech companies
NextCorps Startup Scholarship, a new business scholarship program, expects to help launch technology-oriented companies. Funded through M&T Bank, the scholarship will allow 15 to 20 individuals to receive one year of startup incubation services at NextCorps. “We understand the challenges founders face in the early stages of starting their businesses,”...
Toyota Material Handling picks Henrietta for $2M R&D center
Toyota Material Handling North America plans to establish a $2 million research and development facility for advanced energy storage solutions in Henrietta. The lift truck manufacturer will create 40 new jobs. Located at 1565 Jefferson Road, the facility will develop energy storage solutions and prototypes, and host a testing center.
Bringing the depths of data to light
Ernest Fokoué is intent on expanding public awareness of data and its presence in daily life. A professor at Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Mathematical Sciences, Fokoué hopes to encourage the community, through three upcoming events, to play with data and explore its depths. “My overarching...
The urgent need for housing access vouchers
A recent report showed that homeless rates for those under 18 years old in the city of Rochester rose 37 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year. The Rochester City School District reports that 2,417 of its enrolled students are homeless. The word “crisis” may get thrown around a lot, but for a parent or child who has already lost their home or is in fear of losing their home, that word does not encapsulate the struggles they face every day.
Concert to showcase Black classical musicians in Rochester
A free concert will inaugurate the 50th anniversary season of classical public radio station WXXI and shine the spotlight on several outstanding Black musicians living in Rochester. The March 3 concert at Asbury First United Methodist Church features soprano Kearstin Piper Brown, well known to local audiences for performances in...
The rise of recycled and ghost guns
When the Rochester Police Department disposes of guns, they disappear in fire. “They get melted down,” says Capt. Greg Bello. The process makes sure that neither the firearms nor any parts of them can ever be used again. Two other Rochester-area law enforcement agencies also turn their discarded guns...
Hochul’s trifling sum for impoverished children
Gov. Kathy Hochul came to town last week to announce $50 million to help impoverished children in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse, winning herself favorable, even fawning, news coverage. News reports presented Hochul as a hero of our city’s poorest youngsters. At first, that sounds like a lot of money,...
The Beacon explains: How does the property tax work?
Taxes are a necessary evil. Taxation allows us join together to fund public schools, plow our streets, and support the needy. The property tax, based on ownership of real property, is New York’s only tax on wealth (as opposed to a tax on income or consumption, i.e. sales). A major source of revenue for local government, it provides one-fifth of total revenue for counties, cities and towns, over two-fifths for villages and half of all revenue supporting public schools. In New York State, only New York City and Yonkers impose an income tax.
Most RPD juvenile use of force incidents involve Black minors
Nearly 80 percent of all juvenile use of force incidents involve Black, mostly male, minors, according to the latest investigative report from the Police Accountability Board. “This data underscores a disproportionate impact on the Black community, raising questions about the factors contributing to such disparities, including potential biases in law enforcement practices,” the report states. “The overrepresentation of Black minors in use of force incidents emphasizes the urgency for a thorough examination of policing strategies, training, and policies to address systemic issues.”
BID backers work on plan revisions
A business improvement district proposal is expected to come before City Council for a vote sometime in the second half of 2024. The proposal will be submitted after it is shared with and has the support of affected property owners, a recent update from the Partnership for Downtown Rochester indicates.
More than just another song
Rochester jazz trio CMD’s moniker is multilayered. Not only does it contain each of the trio’s first names, it also stands for the group’s unique voice and motto: “Common. Music. Different.”. “All we knew for sure is that we wouldn’t be playing jazz standards,” recalls Casey...
What fate awaits East’s EPO?
When Carmine Peluso opened a recent work session on the University of Rochester’s partnership with East High, he warned attendees that it wasn’t going to be a spectator sport. “If you’re here for the Holyfield vs.Tyson fight between East and the district, then you’re at the wrong place,”...
Report shines a light on isolation, loneliness
A report released Tuesday by Common Ground Health underscores the problem of social isolation, especially among certain population segments in the Finger Lakes region. While the problem spans the age spectrum, a survey of adults in the nine-county region found that among in those in the 50-to-64 age group, 27 percent had concerns about feelings of isolation and loneliness. That compares with 11 percent overall.
Rochester to get $25 million in anti-poverty funding
The city of Rochester is slated to get $25 million in state funds to fight poverty–half of a one-time Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families allocation statewide. A total of $50 million distributed across New York will support locally driven anti-poverty initiatives. It was one of several funding announcements made by Gov. Kathy Hochul in Rochester Tuesday.
Decline of business activity statewide slows
Business activity statewide has edged downward again, two Federal Reserve Bank of New York surveys indicate, but the decline eased and optimism about the future is trending higher. After a sharp contraction a month ago, manufacturing activity in New York shrank further, according to the February Empire State Manufacturing Survey.
Funding for after-school programs boosted
More than $100 million in grants–a $17.7 million increase–will be available this year for after-school programs across New York. Distributed through the Office of Children and Family Services, the grants are expected to provide services to more than 40,000 children in high-need areas, state officials say. Awards will be announced in April.
The gift of authentic conversation
“What does it mean to be Black?” When considering that nebulous question, Jackie McGriff, founder and director of Our Voices Project, wanted to approach it in a unique way. Instead of searching for a definitive answer, McGriff’s project, “Being Black in America,” places the audience as an invisible observer...
Sound public health policy requires accurate information
A recent Guest Opinion piece in Rochester Beacon, “The toll of emissions from landscape equipment” by Jill Bellenger, contained statements regarding the Monroe County Department of Public Health that were uninformed and misleading. Equipment that burns gas or other fossil fuels, including tools used by the lawn and garden industry, certainly contribute to reduced air quality. However, for at least the past decade or more, air quality in Monroe County has posed very little threat to public health.
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