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Turn off the gas, turn on the electricity
I’ve always been interested in solar energy. When I had a house built in 1976 where we were living in Michigan, I had the south-facing roof pitched at 55 degrees—the ideal slope for gathering solar energy. I built two very simple 4′ x 8′ panels with black copper tubes in them to help preheat our water before it went into the gas-fired hot water heater. It didn’t replace our dependence on fossil fuels, but it was a first step.
Celebrating Latino culture
Grupo Cultural Latinos en Rochester’s celebration showcases artists from the Rochester community and around the world. Called Latin Celebration, A LatinX project, it also marks GCLER’s ten year anniversary. Established in 2013, GCLER aims to promote Latin American folklore in Western New York through educational events, community workshops...
Finding shelter for asylum seekers
As Monroe County this week accepts its second contingent of asylum seekers, it is so far managing to accommodate the refugees with far less disruption than the city that is sending busloads of migrants here. Local officials say the systems in place to accommodate the asylum seekers coming from New...
D&L Groceries is well-stocked with resilience
Caribbean staple D&L Groceries has suffered embezzlement, theft and personal loss over the last few years, but there are no plans to close its doors. Instead, D&L’s owner hopes to bring new life to the old store, and entertains the possibility of a second location. D&L (Deloris and Linford)...
An economic recovery that’s still under way
In recent weeks, a new wave of infections and hospitalizations has been an unwelcome reminder that COVID is still with us. The latest numbers on the Rochester-area economy have told a similar story: The recovery from the pandemic remains a work in progress. First, the good news: The Rochester metro...
Institute for Caring partners with advocacy group
The Institute for Caring’s plans for a $2.4 million budget include presenting a system to Americans nationwide and establishing state pilot programs to demonstrate its effectiveness. This push comes via a partnership with the FreedomWorks Foundation of Washington, D.C., a grassroots advocacy group established a couple of months ago.
RIT boosts lab space to keep pace with expanding research
A boom in lab space on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus signals the university’s response to a rapidly growing research portfolio. It is part of a three-pronged strategy to deploy nearly 60,000 square feet of space to make room for innovation, says Ryne Raffaelle, vice president of research at RIT.
Gebell to lead Levine Center to End Hate
Monica Gebell hopes to channel her interest in equity and inclusion and programming to change perspectives as the new chief of the Levine Center to End Hate. Gebell, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, replaces Karen Elam, who is joining the New York City-based Jewish Council of Public Affairs as a senior vice president.
Pilot program to provide assistance at Hall of Justice
Through a pilot program, individuals and families will have access to assistance before or after court proceedings at the Monroe County Hall of Justice. A Community Connections Desk—a new collaboration between Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and the 7th Judicial District—will make this assistance available. The initiative is funded by a $74,000 grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Goodwill retail stores.
What fuels the Fringe
It has been about 14 years since Erica Fee left London to return to her hometown. While it was risky to leave behind her production company, the move has landed Fee at the helm of one of the three largest fringe festivals in the United States, and the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York.
Palmyra files suit over ‘forever chemicals’ contamination
As concern over contamination of water supplies by so-called forever chemicals mounts, the town of Palmyra is suing a group of companies that manufactured or sold firefighting foam. Filed in a Wayne County state court, the action names a dozen separate companies that have made or sold firefighting foams known...
Rochester still has the fastest-selling homes
Across the country, houses for sale are staying on the market longer than they were a year ago. Not here, though. In metropolitan Rochester, where houses are selling faster than in any other large metro nationwide, the median time from listing to sale last month was 15 days—two days fewer than in July 2022.
UR faces suit over ransomware attack
The University of Rochester has been hit with a lawsuit claiming that its response to a ransomware attack it suffered in May is inadequate. The court action was filed Aug. 17 in the federal Western District of New York’s Rochester Division. A Highland Hospital worker is lead plaintiff in the action, which seeks class-action status.
City to increase supply of affordable homes
The Beechwood neighborhood will add 53 new affordable homes. The $27 million scattered site development, which has begun construction, furthers the city’s revitalization goal. The project is being developed by the Rochester Housing Authority with consultant Edgemere Development. “Quality affordable housing is vital for our community and this project...
U of R should not take money from its charitable mission to fund city programs
I read with disappointment Mitch Gruber’s opinion piece about the University of Rochester needing to contribute more financially to the City since it does not pay property taxes. There is essential information missing that I would like to add. Every not-for-profit in the city is exempt from income and...
Rochester Regional’s selective pay hike
While Rochester Regional Health has said it cannot afford to meet recently striking Rochester General Hospital nurses’ salary demands, the health system is giving raises of up to $14,000 a year to medical residents. In a July 28 letter addressed to the health system’s residents and physician fellows obtained...
EPIC Women’s Conference returns
LaShunda Leslie-Smith is gearing up again to help women realize their potential. This week, she hopes to inspire more than 200 women to invest in themselves. Leslie-Smith will host the biannual EPIC Women’s Conference at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center Aug.18-19. The two-day series of workshops is a “whole-life conference” that is expected to draw hundreds of women from all over the region, officials say. The themes of the conference are esteem, passion, inspiration and courage.
Business starts signal economic optimism here
Unlike many metropolitan areas nationwide, Rochester still has not returned to the employment level it had before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020. But one key measure shows no shortage of economic optimism here. Ranked by new business applications in 2022, Monroe County placed just outside the...
Urban stores are a strength, Tops president says
Ron Ferri, the president of Tops Friendly Markets, says the grocery chain has a long history of placing stores in low-income areas. Operating in urban cores is a strength. “That’s been something that’s been part of our heritage since we started,” Ferri says. “We feel very strongly about being in those areas and serving the needs of customers.”
UR pain researcher lands $8.3 million federal grant
With an $8.3 million federal grant, the University of Rochester’s Paul Geha M.D. will continue to study the link between pain and the brain. The research could alter treatment and care for chronic pain sufferers. Geha recently received the award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke...
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