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The Rochester Beacon
A ‘Fresh Legend’ for a wine label
This week, Laura Lopez was announced as the winner of Finger Lakes Community College’s annual wine label competition with her brand design “Fresca Leyenda,” Spanish for “Fresh Legend.”. A second-semester graphic design student from Colombia, Lopez created the abstract design with connections to both the region’s...
Rocking Realtors’ world
From airline tickets to stocks and bonds, the internet and related technologies have transformed traditional markets and driven down prices for consumers. The residential housing market followed suit, adopting technology that dramatically improves transparency. Detailed information on the supply and price of existing homes is only a few clicks away.
Linehan to succeed Taubman as URMC CEO
After conducting a yearlong, nationwide search for a new University of Rochester Medical Center CEO and School of Medicine and Dentistry dean, the university’s Board of Trustees has chosen an internal candidate to assume both posts. Surgical oncologist David Linehan M.D. is slated to succeed current URMC CEO and...
The great debate: protect our lakes
It’s no secret that fresh water is one of the most valuable resources on Earth. Beyond its role as a key source of hydration, it also provides a clean alternative to fossil fuel based energies. Currently, 1 in 3 people don’t have access to clean water—a statistic that is expected to get worse as the population grows. To make matters even more desperate, the fresh water we do have access to is jeopardized by rapidly climbing global temperatures. As the planet heats up and climate change threatens to lower our water supply, who is allowed to draw from sources of freshwater like the Great Lakes will soon become even more contested.
UR Medicine opens acute brain injury rehab unit
UR Medicine’s new $7 million Acute Brain Injury NeuroRehabilitation Unit meets a regional need for services aimed at recovery and independence. The 11-bed unit opened Tuesday at Strong Memorial Hospital. Designed to serve patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and other types of acute acquired brain injuries, the...
Grad students are an issue in UR contract talks
As talks between the University of Rochester and two Service Employee International Union units resumed this week, SEIU Local 200United’s hope of bringing some 1,500 UR graduate students into the union’s fold remain a sticking point. In the talks, SEIU 200United and 1999SEIU, separate units that now collectively...
The therapeutic benefits of community gardening
Around eight years ago, the urban outreach community center, Cameron (in Rochester) was granted permission to use an empty lot to beautify the local area for horticultural purposes. These citizens began by planting a few plants, but such was the success of the project that around three years later, three adjoining lots were purchased, a Teen Center was built, and the garden project, now called The Peace Garden, was expanded. Today, it is a lush oasis filled with produce, flowers, trees, herbs, and more. For those who head to this garden to get their hands dirty, till the soil, and provide extra love and care to the myriad of plants that grow there, there are many benefits beyond entertainment. Read on to discover some of the most therapeutic effects of community gardening for Rochester residents.
A new affordable housing tool
Olivia Ildefenso believes New York is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. A data and analytics consultant to ERASE Racism, she says the crisis is powered by various factors that can be difficult to untangle and visualize. ERASE Racism, a Syosset-based advocacy group focused on fair housing and...
An indie debut fueled by collaboration
Kelley’s Heroes founding member John Kelley has never seen the 1970 movie “Kelly’s Heroes.”. The indie rock band’s name reflects Kelley’s desire for a musical project that he had more control over. After a decades-long experience in the Austin music scene, the rise and fall of groups had started to take its toll.
A hard harvest for fruit growers
Erratic weather made 2023 a difficult year for some upstate fruit growers. “We literally thought by the end of May that the year might be a tragedy,” says Amy Machamer, co-owner of Hurd Orchards, a 120-acre farm that’s just outside the Orleans County village of Holley. The chief...
Judge rebuffs bid by creditors committee in diocese bankruptcy
Bankruptcy Judge Paul Warren has declined to kill a $63.5 million deal between Continental Insurance Co. and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester in the diocese’s bankruptcy. Warren’s decision came after he called off a Dec. 8 hearing in which the insurer and the official committee of unsecured creditors were expected to present oral arguments.
NY aims to boost high-speed, affordable broadband
As many as 100,000 affordable housing units across New York will gain access to broadband infrastructure under a new state initiative. Applications for the $100 million Affordable Housing Connectivity Program opened in early December. In Monroe County, roughly 7 percent of households do not have a computer and 12 percent...
SEIU members poised for walkout at UR
Barring a settlement after a round of talks that were slated for Dec. 11 between University of Rochester and Service Employees International Union negotiators, some 1,800 union members plan a one-day walkout at UR’s River Campus and UR Medical Center facilities tomorrow. SEIU Local 200 United and 1199SEIU put...
Lilac Festival promoter withdraws from event
Longtime Lilac Festival promoter Jeff Springut has withdrawn from the event, the Rochester Beacon has learned. Organizer of the spring festival for more than a decade, Springut says his event-production company, the Springut Group Inc., still plans to produce Party in the Park and other events in Monroe County, but is done with the Lilac Festival. He cites no specific reasons for deciding to withdraw.
Tunes for Tanks
Last December, a large portion of Rochester was issued a boil water advisory when a main line broke on Favor Street. The advisory stayed in place for about two days until the water line could be fixed. As trying as that experience might have been for residents, it was a...
A detailed vision for downtown
Real estate developer Andrew Gallina believes he knows downtown Rochester well. His passion for reinvigorating the center city is palpable. Gallina fondly recalls acquiring the One East Avenue building in 2012, the first of many purchases downtown. “Why did I invest in downtown at first? Because I saw opportunity and...
U.S. Trustee urges court to reject competing plans in diocese bankruptcy
In a move that could further complicate the already contentious final chapter in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester’s bankruptcy, the U.S. Trustee is urging the court to reject competing plans of reorganization filed by the diocese and the Continental Insurance Co. The Trustee’s Dec. 5 filing comes on...
SJNC to celebrate 30 years with community health fair
St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center will mark three decades of serving the underserved with a community health fair. The center, which opened doors in 1993, will also invite visitors to tour the facility. St. Joseph’s offers health care, counseling, and supportive services to the uninsured and those who are unable...
Nursing institute receives $5M gift to extend impact
The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, has received a $5 million gift to expand its reach and impact. Paychex founder Thomas Golisano donated $4 million and the Golisano Foundation gave $1 million to the institute at the St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Nursing. It builds on a $5.8 million investment from both donors in 2018, officials say.
Final chapter in diocese bankruptcy draws closer
Hearings this month promise to set the stage for a long-awaited final settlement of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester’s bankruptcy. The diocese sought Chapter 11 protection in September 2019, a month after New York’s Child Victims Act went into effect. The CVA opened a temporary window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to pursue abusers who otherwise would be protected by a statute of limitations.
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