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Urban farm project to begin this month
Vacant lots in the northeast quadrant of the city of Rochester are ready to be transformed into an urban farm. The effort is part of an expansion of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County’s South Lawn project. South Lawn, at 2449 St. Paul Boulevard, began in 2022 to address...
Clarkson’s D’Amuro to speak at civic education forum
The New York State Bar Association has scheduled a convocation next month to explore ways to improve civic knowledge across the state. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is slated as a key speaker for the daylong Civics Convocation. “We are at a crisis point in civic education in New...
Another public utility feasibility study vote fails
Supporters of a public utility feasibility study faced disappointment last night when a vote to advance that study failed in a 16-13 vote in the Monroe County Legislature. The bill would have allocated $1 million in the county’s budget for a study researching the viability of providing areas, currently served by Rochester Gas and Electric, with a public power option instead. Last year, Rochester City Council approved $500,000 in funding toward this study, but it was contingent on the county also contributing funds.
How Lori Van Dusen used words to heal
For Lori Van Dusen, 2020 was a harrowing year. Her husband’s suicide thrust Van Dusen into the unforgiving depths of profound grief, guilt and unanswered questions. To heal, a therapist suggested journaling. Those notes turned into a bestselling book, “Running with Grace,” in which Van Dusen–founder and CEO of LVW Advisors, and a nationally recognized wealth adviser–chronicles her life’s journey with vulnerability, suggesting by example how readers can find purpose and joy amid harsh realities.
Public utility advocates press for approval of study
Four days after protestors rallied for a public utility feasibility study, Monroe County lawmakers will vote on the matter tomorrow evening. “The majority of Democrats support it, we just need one or two more votes to get this over the finish line, and then we need County Executive Adam Bello to sign the legislation once it’s passed,” Metro Justice organizing director Mohini Sharma said on Friday.
Braveman to be interim JCC leader
At the end of April, Daan Braveman will once again embark on a leadership journey, this time at the Louis S. Wolk Jewish Community Center. The president emeritus of Nazareth University will serve as the organization’s interim CEO. The JCC is in the process of searching for a new...
Upheaval in the city schools
At the start of a tumultuous Rochester City School Board meeting last Thursday, Marlene Blocker presented East Upper school’s Susan B. Anthony award to Camille Varela for her outstanding academic achievement and work outside the school. “We are so proud of your values and you are simply beautiful inside...
Vocal meditations on religious faith, duty, and death
Starting this evening, Eastman Opera Theatre presents one of the most celebrated operas of the 20th century, Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites.”. In terms of the standard operatic repertory, which includes few works less than a century old, this opera is practically brand new. The 1957 premiere of “Dialogues des Carmélites” at Milan’s La Scala was a tremendous success, and the opera’s profundity and its dramatic music immediately earned it a special place in the repertory.
Presidential primary turnout low in Monroe County
Unofficial numbers from the Monroe County Board of Elections show single-digit turnout numbers for both major parties in this year’s presidential primaries. On Tuesday, 7.1 percent and 7.7 percent of registered voters cast ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries, respectively. AP has declared both Democrat President Joe Biden...
REMADE to host conference in D.C.
The REMADE Institute–led in part by Rochester Institute of Technology–continues to advance the conversation on a circular economy. The national institute will host the 2024 REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference in Washington, D.C., April 10-11. “REMADE is excited to host this important summit once again, featuring...
UR’s tech response to the nursing shortage
With an urgency to feed the nursing pipeline, the University of Rochester School of Nursing has augmented its curriculum with technology, integrating two virtual reality classrooms and a 20-bed skills lab. New York faces a projected shortage of 40,000 registered nurses by 2030 as a result of nurse burnout and...
Upstate’s poor educational performance
Historically, economically disadvantaged students have performed poorly on the New York’s annual student assessments. That pattern continued in the 2022-2023 school year. On the state’s grades 3-8 mathematics examination, only 30 percent of students in districts where 80 percent of students were economically disadvantaged were rated proficient, on average, compared with 70 percent of students in districts where 20 percent of students were disadvantaged. Sixty percent of the difference in school district performance was associated with the percentage of needy students.
Summit aims to support entrepreneurial women
Next month, Arbor Midtown will welcome at least 200 attendees with a singular focus: to help women-owned and -led businesses thrive. The Elevate Women’s Business Summit–scheduled for April 18–expects to appeal to founders, investors and entrepreneurs, including those considering a business venture. Organized by women in the region, the idea took shape after a Women’s Venture Summit in San Diego last year, where a few attendees from Rochester found each other.
Use the market to reduce carbon pollution
The earth is warming and we need to do something about it. A carbon pricing bill with cash back to US households would encourage a reduction in carbon pollution without government regulation. A bill has been introduced into the House that does just that. The Energy Innovation AND Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 5744) Text – H.R.5744 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2023 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress would be revenue neutral and would not expand government. It is a market driven solution that harnesses the forces of capitalism to solve this problem. There is widespread agreement among economists on both sides of the aisle that it is the most efficient way to reduce carbon pollution. As a lifelong Republican, I am hoping Congresswoman Tenney will co-sponsor this important legislation.
Driven apart by politics
No matter how New Yorkers vote in next Tuesday’s presidential primary, a rerun of the 2020 race between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump appears virtually inevitable. Both candidates already have won enough delegates to be nominated at this summer’s party conventions. Polls show that most Americans...
N.Y. fraud law that punished Trump was a Republican idea
Former President Donald Trump argues that New York’s special consumer protection law—which resulted in a nearly $500 million verdict against him—was “very unfair.”. His attorneys claimed the law was “a tyrannical abuse of power” that threatened America’s economic prosperity. In short, if you...
Peluso to leave RSCD for Churchville-Chili
Carmine Peluso will still be a superintendent in July, just at a different school district. The Churchville-Chili Central School District Tuesday said Peluso will succeed Lori Orologio after her retirement from the district in June. Peluso’s departure from the Rochester City School District marks the loss of yet another superintendent....
Connected Communities receives $2 million gift
Connected Communities has received $2 million as one of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call awardees. The unrestricted gift is another step toward ensuring the longevity of the public-private initiative. The call for applications came a year ago, aimed at community-led and -focused organizations with the intent of enabling...
Teach Rochester recruitment effort reaches next stage
The Rochester City School District’s effort to recruit and retain teachers has entered its next phase. It follows the news of RCSD’s roughly 3 percent job vacancy rate for operations and instructional staff. Teach Rochester, which launched in January, is a multifaceted initiative that aims to make the...
Reviving ‘The Rivals’
The Irish literary and dramatic tradition is remarkably rich for such a small country, observes Jean Gordon Ryon. That tradition, which includes James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, John Millington Synge, and Bernard Shaw, dramatist Eugene O’Neill, and such contemporary writers as Conor McPherson, has found a local voice in the Rochester Community Players’ Irish Program.
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