Christmas sale at the toy store? Nope. Went bankrupt.

I couldn't help but spent a moment reliving a childhood memory when I heard that KB Toys filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy today and will begin liquidating stores before the end of the year.

I remember my grandma taking me to the mall when I was a little kid, and one of my favorite places to stop was KB Toys in Irondequoit Mall. At one visit, she bought me a little detective kit that included a plastic gun, toy handcuffs, a badge and several other essential gadgets.

Those were the days. I miss when Irondequoit Mall was full of stores and life. It's so sad to see it empty. It was always such a nice place to visit, with all of its natural light and huge fountains. Back then I never would have thought that the toy store would outlast the mall, but that was the case.

How would your home hold up in a fire?

This is an interesting story that I came across the other day. I have wondered about this over the past few years myself. It seams that many of the fires in older houses in the city are less destructive than fires in new suburban homes. With some of the fires on the news in the past few years, at least in Rochester, there have been new homes completely destroyed and other older ones that only show some black around the windows from the outside.

It is possible that fire department response time could be a factor - many suburban departments are partially volunteer and take a little longer to get to the scene than the paid / full-time city fire department. But as this news story shows, there are more factors behind this trend.

SU fires football coach - local TV gets the story from AP

SYRACUSE NY - Greg Robinson will be without a job at the end of the season. Daryl Gross, SU Athletic Director, made the announcement today through a press release. Many people on campus and in the community have been calling for his firing all season. This is by far one of the biggest local stories of the year in Central New York. Which is why it's so disturbing that one of the three local TV stations relied on the Associated Press to cover it for them.

This is a sign of just how bad local news is getting in some markets, where a station is so short-staffed that they can't cover one of the biggest stories of the year in their own market. I don't know if the same is true for this particular station's on air coverage, but the "breaking news" story on their website was attributed to the AP. Even one of the stations in ROCHESTER filed an original story on its website! Hopefully viewers will wise up to this sort of crap and voice their objections by taking their TV remotes and computer mice elsewhere.

Syracuse sells houses for $1

SYRACUSE NY - Last month city officials put 11 multifamily houses up for sale for only one dollar. The catch? They are falling apart. Some, if not most of them will have to be completely gutted. They are all vacant tax delinquent properties that the city has seized.

A classmate and I covered the story for our reporting class. It started with a meeting at 9 am where city officials answered the questions of interested developers. That was another catch - to buy one of these houses, you had to prove to the city that you had the financial means to finish the project.

At the meeting we talked to the city operations manager. He said that there are 250 tax delinquent houses in the city that are vacant. In total, there are 1,200 vacant properties in Syracuse. Qualified developers purchasing one of these 11 houses would be eligible for up to $45,000 in grants and several years of tax breaks.

After the meeting there were open houses all day for interested parties to have a look around...after signing a waiver saying the city wasn't responsible if you fell through the floor or something else bad happened. We went to 219 Grace street:

It's just a little bit of a fixer upper. The front steps are basically a few boards over cement blocks and the porch is falling off. It doesn't look much better inside.

This is the living room of the first floor apartment. You can see where parts of the drop ceiling are caving in and where the wall paper is peeling.

Here is what's left of the first floor kitchen. This was one of the worst rooms in the house. It was very dirty in here. Pieces of the linoleum flooring were coming up, and the floor in general seemed a little "soft." I love that old sink though!

Now you can really see the condition of the porch! This is the view from the second floor. We asked one of the contractors who walked through how much it would cost to fix this house. He estimated that it would be $80-90,000.

We are told this was one of the better houses. Some of my other classmates went to a house on W. Colvin Street. In that one you couldn't even go upstairs to the second floor because the stairs had rotted away. Probably a good thing...they were told that a family of raccoons lived up there.

Oh the irony...Slaughter will see combined rail/bus station after all. For now.

ROCHESTER NY - Congresswomen Louise Slaughter (D-NY), of Rochester's 28th Congressional District, has always opposed Monroe County's Renaissance Square concept of a combined Monroe Community College campus / bus station / performing arts center in the middle of downtown Rochester. She has argued from the start that instead they should have a combined Amtrak and bus terminal at the current rail station on Central Ave, north of downtown.

Well, the 79 year old Congresswoman who was just elected to serve her 12th term by 78% of voters, may get her wish. Well, part of it. Temporarily. See, when the Trailways and Greyhound terminals have to move out of Midtown Plaza at the end of December (when they get ready to tear it down), they will move the buses to the rail station. They don't have much choice, because Renaissance Square is a long way from being built across the street (if it's ever built).

This isn't what Slaughter originally called for - she wanted all the city buses there at the train station too, as is called for in the Ren. Square plan - but I find it funny just the same. The county always said there isn't enough room at the train station and that traffic patterns would not support the buses. That is true if you were to include all the city buses as well, but I still get a kick out of the situation. They came down so hard on Slaughter's plan from the start...a plan that is now in part being put into place until the county can build Ren. Square, which is proving as hard to get off the ground as Slaughter has said it would be from the start.

"Block F" proposal selected

ROCHESTER NY - The city has selected a development proposal for the block across from the Eastman Theatre known as "Block F." Community leaders have long considered the block the most important location for development potential in the city. It's a unique opportunity because it is one of the few undeveloped blocks along E. Main St in downtown and its in the heart of the East End cultural district. We can only hope that the developer can get the financing. I looked at the company's website and it seems to be fairly new, with a lot of proposed and yet to be built properties. That makes me a little nervous, but I'm hoping for they can pull it off. It would be a great addition to downtown, especially across from the Eastman Theatre expansion.

The times, they are 'a change'n: no more "Kodak Park"

ROCHESTER NY - Ever since I was a little kid, I remember driving by Kodak Park on the way to my Grandma's house. This is where Kodak took off. Some of the company's first production lines were here. Film was perfected here, and the digital technology that replaced it was invented here too. Kodak founder George Eastman is even buried at the entrance to this industrial complex. Through over a century of change, one thing was the same: it was called "Kodak Park." Until this week.

After nearly two decades of Kodak's decline in Rochester, including over 50,000 layoffs, and several building demolitions and implosions, the company decided a name change was in order. The fact is that this once sprawling "city within a city" is now home to more than 25 other companies along with Kodak necessitated a name that reflected that. Now it will formally be called "Eastman Business Park." It is a way for Kodak to attract more tenants to the buildings it has vacated. This is a sad change because it is one more reminder of what Kodak once was to Rochester, and another concern for its future presence here.

Will economy force change in Midtown plans?

ROCHESTER NY - PAETEC's third-quarter results were announced Thursday, showing the company lost $355M in the quarter. Only a small part of that (less that $20M) was an operational loss, the rest resulting from its summer merger with McLeod USA. It is normal for companies to show losses after a major acquisition or merger, but many people in Rochester are worried about the timing with the ecomony.

There is a lot at stake. The company has plans to build a $100M headquarters at current site of Midtown Plaza in downtown Rochester. The plans were already scaled back from a 30+ story structure to a 10 story one, but now the question is will they be able to build anything? PAETEC CEO Arunas Chesonis says the comapany is strong and will survive.

The city owns the Midtown properties and the state has committed money to tear the current buildings down. The city released the draft environmental plan for the site, that shows the creation of news streets and 7 new blocks to break up the current single "mega-block." One of those blocks is supposed to be for PAETEC. The rest call for a hotel and a mix of residential/retail/and office space. No other developers have made commitments yet, probably waiting for PAETEC to make the first move.

There is also talk of keeping Midtown Tower and turning it into residential units. The building would still have to be gutted and would likely get a new facade. WHEC-TV is reporting today that several developers from in and out of state are have approached the city this week with an interest in redeveloping the tower. It makes sense to try to keep it - it would save the city the expense of tearing it down (especially since it couldn't be imploded due to the parking garage that is being saved beneath it).

The city pretty much admitted Monday that there wasn't a real backup plan if PAETEC backs out. It seems that Midtown Plaza, with the likely exception of the tower, will be torn down regardless. Many agree that while the state has committed at least $55M of the $65M needed to remove asbestos and tear it down the city should take advantage of it. As long as Midtown is standing, its preventing future development potential downtown. That said, it would be a shame to have an empty hole in the middle of the city waiting for a developer to build there.

SU cutting $8M from '09 operating budget

The Syracuse Post-Standard is reporting today that Syracuse University is cutting $8M from next year's operating budget in response to the poor economy. The paper reported that SU's endowment lost $170M in value at the close of the 2008 fiscal year, which ended in June. The paper reported that the endowment stood at $775M at the end of October. The budget for next year is currently at $956M, but I'm not sure if that includes the $8M in cuts or not.

I've been wondering when I'd see this story. Across the country, many other colleges have been talking about hard times and temporarily scaling back plans. In Rochester, Nazareth College had to modify improvements to its performing arts center because of the cost of construction materials (although that was over the summer before the economy took a nose dive. In Ithaca, Cornell just put a 90-day moratorium on construction at, from what I understand, multiple building projects.

You think SU would do that? HELL NO. Construction is continuing on a new residence hall in the ballpark of $50M, the Center of Excellence for around $20M, and of all things, the new basketball practice facility that is also around $20M - like we really needed that. I understand the residence hall. The university accidentally overbooked new students by about 600 this year, therefore having to transform several dorm lounges into makeshift rooms. The Center of Excellence is receiving help from the state and was planned for years ago, so that makes sense too. But heaven forbid the university consider scaling back another building for the athletic department. It would be different if multiple teams could use it, but $20M for a building that only ONE team will use? With the economy like this? That's frustrating.

Democrats in Rochester React

Democrats celebrate Obama's victory at the party's election night headquarters at the Hyatt. This well done video is from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle's multimedia unit. For more videos and photos, go to the newspaper's website.

Syracuse exposed: 40 Below Summit 2008

Forty Below is a local organization of young professionals that promotes civic engagement in Central NY. For the past several years, they have put together a "40 Below Summit" that brings young people together to look at the positives and the problems in the area and talk about ways to make people want to stay and contribute to the community.

This year's summit started with a documentary viewing and a public forum at Syracuse University's Hendricks Chapel. Organizers really wanted to target the student population this year since it is us they would like to see be more involved in the community. I went with the freshmen leadership program "OrangeSeeds" (I'm a member of the E-Board). We figured this would be a good way for our freshmen "seeds" to learn about the city they will call home for the next 4 years (or longer).

The documentary was artistic and interesting, but completely lacked focus and was detrimental to its purpose in opening and giving direction to the day's activities. The forum was better - we heard from several young professionals about their involvement in the community and the challenges they have witnessed here, along with their thoughts on making things better. They also shared several bright spots about living here.

The best part though was going downtown for experiential learning. There were different stops you could get off at all afternoon that had different featured activities. There was cultural stuff along E. Genesee St, Loft tours at the old Hotel Syracuse, and a scavenger hunt around the city. OrangeSeeds started with the scavenger hunt. It felt like "The Amazing Race" on CBS...we had clues and had to find how many turtles were in the Columbus Circle fountain (8), what was in the arms of a boy in a statue in Forman Park (toy horse-drawn fire truck), among others. It was a really fun way to explore the city, even for those of us who go downtown a lot!

Jess (my scavenger hunt partner) and I broke away though after the first of three legs, too tempted at the thought of lunch at the Blue Tusk in Armory Square. After that, we met up with some of the seeds and fellow E-Board members to look at the new lofts going into the Hotel Syracuse annex. The old hotel closed in 2004 and is being converted into "Symphony Place at Hotel Syracuse Square". The new lofts are beautiful and represent the progress that is being made to attract and retain young professionals here. The views are spectacular (see the pictures below). Overall, it the Summit was a good way to explore and connect with the city, and we all had a fun day doing it!

Living room in the 1st condo we looked at

View of S. Salina St from the window of the 1st condo

Nice living room in the 2nd condo we looked at

Table setting in the 3rd condo we saw

View of the MONY towers and the Hotel Syracuse from the 3rd condo

Holy Cannoli! It's The Syracuse Italian Festival

Last week it was Irish Fest in Clinton Square, and tonight it was Italian Fest in front of Syracuse City Hall. While the Irish Fest featured a lot of craft and artisan tents, the Italian Fest is pretty much all about eating and listening to music (which mostly consisted of Opera). My friends and I got there a little after 7 and headed straight to the food to scout out dinner. None of us had eaten dinner so that we had plenty of room to stuff ourselves. Two rows of long white tents houses all the many vendors - all offering another delicious choice. They had shrimp, ravioli, various pastas with vodka sauce, pizza, and so much more.


Sam and Robin (the two on the left) sought out the fried eggplant, something Robin fell in love with last year. I went for the more basic dinner - a chicken parm sandwich and these freshly made garlic potato chips. Then of course, as the title of this post suggests, a vanilla cannoli for dessert.


The whole atmosphere of the downtown streets was perfect for an evening at the festival. It was drizzling on and off for most of the night, but nothing that spoiled the fun. It was a good time to just get off campus and to come down and enjoy the beautiful architecture downtown that so many students ignore. City Hall in particular is one of my favorite buildings in Syracuse (the tall white building lit up in the background of the picture above).


The best part was the whole night cost less than fifteen dollars. By using the free Connective Corridor bus, we avoided spending anything on gas or parking. The bus line was created by Syracuse University to encourage students to visit downtown cultural attractions. Eventually, there are plans to go beyond a simple bus route and build a physical corridor that includes landscaping, lighting, and artistic elements to more closely connect the university and the city. Imaging that - a good time on a Friday night that I will actually be able to remember tomorrow morning!

Need New Law to Address Teenage "Sexting"

A Rochester boy is facing serious charges after forwarding nude pictures that a 15 year old girl sent to his cell phone. The 16 year old boy from the town of Webster is charged with Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Child under the age of 16, and Promoting a Sexual Performance of a Child under the age of 17 - both felonies. The boy could get time in jail and could be given sex offender status.

The charges were made after the parents of the 15 year old girl filed a complaint. There is even talk that the boy's friends who received the forwarded images could also face charges.

I understand the reasoning behind some charges being filed, but considering that this is a growing trend among teenagers, there need to be changes made in the legal system to properly address the problem. Its not fair to any of the kids involved that they are being charged under old generalized child pornography laws that were never intended to deal with this type of situation.

There should be separate laws to handle situations like this where all parties involved are underage. In my opinion, this should not even be a criminal case - this would be better settled in family court - especially given the young ages and associated sensitivity issues.

Officials have not ruled out charges against the victim either. To me, not only does that make the most sense, but she should receive the same punishment as the boys. She is, after all, the one who sent the illegal images in the first place. Too many times in situations like this the law goes after the male and the female is considered solely the victim. Was it wrong for the boy to send the pictures to his friends? Of course, but the girl is more guilty than innocent in this.

They both made mistakes here, and no one should have their life ruined over this unfortunate situation. It's bad enough the 16 year old boy's name has been published by the media. Parents need to keep better track of what their kids are doing with their phones, and lawmakers need to find a better way to deal with the growing "sexting" problem.

Why Counties in NY Pay More for Medicaid

We had two guest speakers in my Public Affairs - Local Government Class. The First was Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll, followed by Onondaga County Chief Fiscal Officer Joe Mareane.

Many interesting topics were discussed, but one in particular was helpful in understanding the financial troubles of New York State Counties. All New Yorkers know that the State's Medicaid program needs to be reformed and causes huge budget problems for local governments each year.

Mareane explained in simple terms what the problem is. When the federal government created the Medicaid program, they told the states that they must provide a basic list of services to their residents (and pay for them). In addition, the states were offered a list of additional optional services they could pick and choose from, and again, pay for.

Every state except New York offered the basic services, declined most of the optional ones, and used state revenue to pay for most or all of the Medicaid program. New York had other ideas. Instead, Albany decided it would share half of the cost of its Medicaid program with county governments. So, because Albany was essentially getting a 50% discount on services compared to other states, it enrolled in all of the optional services as well.

The result is that county governments, especially those in Upstate NY, are crippled under the financial burden of the NY State's ridiculously large and expensive Medicare program. According to budget documents at ongov.net, Onondaga County's 2008 budget is $1.1 billion - with $92 million going to the state for Medicaid, an increase of about $2 million from last year.

Former Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro (who teaches the class) says that these costs and others have created such high taxes in NY that businesses don't want to come here. That's also why 9 out of the 10 counties in the US with the highest property tax rate are in NY (Onondaga is 7th, Monroe is 3rd). This information is in a preliminary report from the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief, of which Pirro is a member (he handed out bound copies of the report in class - so I have one and will have more information specifically on that in the future.

This is a serious issues that state leaders need to address. Citizens must continue to put pressure on lawmakers in Albany to lower the tax burden and make NY a desirable and attractive place to do business. This is the only way that upstate cities will be able to fully recover from the loss of manufacturing jobs.

Brilliant! Syracuse Irish Festival (Sponsored by Guinness)

No better way to spend an overcast Saturday afternoon than at an Irish Fest in Clinton Square. There was a nice cool breeze blowing through as we walked through the craft tents, past lines of beer tables, and lots of Irish food stands. There was music and dancing all day, with a tribute to outgoing Congressman Jim Walsh who retires this year scheduled at 8. All of the Irish Pubs in Armory Square were represented in mobile form for the day (the regular establishments preparing for after parties later in the night). Clinton Square is the prefect venue for the many festivals in Syracuse. Stay tuned...next week is Italian fest and I believe the weekend after that is Oktoberfest!

Stop Hating Oprah and Get a Life

I can't believe how mad people are getting at Oprah for not interviewing McCain's running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Why is that such a surprise to people? Obviously if she came out earlier in the year to support Obama, she is not going to buddy up with his opponent.

Last I checked, there were over 3600 comments for the story at abcnews.com. People charged the talk show host with being racist and sexist for not granting Palin an interview before the election. People are calling Winfrey fake, and a liar.

Pardon me for being ignorant, but I don't see why a daytime talk show host cannot express her preference for a presidential candidate. It would be a conflict of interest to interview Palin before the election. A talk show is not a news program, and is in no way obligated to give equal time to each candidate.

Oprah, like every other American, has a right to voice her opinion in the election. She does not pretend to be a journalist, or to be politically balanced. It is disgusting that people are calling her a racist because she supports a fellow American with a common heritage as her own.

My Local Government Class

Last Semester when it came time to select this fall's classes, I jumped at the opportunity to take a class on local government taught by former Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro. He retired at the end of last year after serving for 20 years as the county's leader, and accepted an invitation from SU's Maxwell School to teach this class under the Public Affairs department.

I knew this was right the right decision from the minute I walked into the classroom. Mr. Pirro introduced himself by walking to each person's desk and shaking their hand. He stressed that he was new at the whole teaching thing, and that the syllabus could be changed to make sure that all of our questions were answered. There would be no need for a textbook in this class - he would provide important documents and all the insider's information not available in any bookstore.

So far we have already had three guest speakers from the greater Syracuse community: a civic engagement leader, a town supervisor, and a village mayor. Next week we will talk to Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll, and soon we will talk to either the new county executive or a top level county official.

I see this as a goldmine for an aspiring local reporter - to have a class that not only gives you contact after contact, but all of the background on how government works at the local level. The challenges, successes, and policies that are worked on everyday. The need for governments to streamline to become efficient and financially solvent. This type of class should be required for all journalism students. Three hours a week is not enough! I will keep you posted on how the rest of the semester goes!

Journalism Should be a Public Service

There was a time when television journalism wasn't supposed to make money. There were no flashing graphics and wooshing sound effects. All you needed was the anchor, the audience, and the news. Respect was something the reporter earned every night. These were the days when the networks offered news as a public service - a mandate from the FCC for the use of limited public airwaves.

Sure those newscasts look primitive now...the cardboard sets and the cheep music...but the legends like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite were invited into living rooms across America each night anyway. This was back when the people trusted the media...mainly because the media earned it with a genuine passion to serve the public by keeping them informed.

It was only a matter of time before the networks realized their news divisions could make money. Suddenly, newsrooms became more concerned with what stories would attract the most viewers. No longer did the importance of the story dictate what led a broadcast.

Sure there have been positive outcomes from this...more news coverage is available than ever before. Much of this coverage would not be possible without significant investments in technology...which would not be available without a profit driven industry. News is now available all of the time - on 24 hour cable news channels and online. These are the benefits of change.

But treating journalism like a business has brought a different attitude to the profession. Too many reporters these days expect trust and demand respect instead of earning them. So many times I hear student journalists wanting to go after the "big" stories", and referring to many everyday news events as lame.

This concerns me. It indicates that many up and coming reporters are no longer interested in telling the people's story and are more into the glamorous on air roles that await them. They don't care about places like Syracuse because it is a "small and boring city". The result? Local news will never be the same again. Young journalists moving from small markets to larger ones never take the time to really get to know the ins and outs of the communities they serve. There is no way you can learn a market within a 2 year contract.

Not all student journalists are like this, but enough of them are that it will be hard to reverse the already growing distrust of the mainstream media.

Remembering Dad: John Carter Bense, 1957 - 2008

Penfield: July 30, 2008, at age 51. Predeceased by his father, Roger Bense. He is survived by his wife, Eileen Bense; mother, JoAnn Bense; son, Nathan Bense; brothers and sisters, Debbie (Rick) Brunelle, Roger S. (Ann-Michelle Garrison) Bense, Linda (John) Phillips; sister-in-law, Jackie Bense; mother-in-law, Cecile Morrow; aunt, Roberta (Wallace) Tervin; many nieces, nephews and cousins. The family would like to thank the Wilmot Cancer Center, especially Drs. Mohile, Hendren and Symer. John was a Xerox employee for 28 years.

Friends may call Sunday, 4-8 PM at the funeral chapel (1031 Ridge Road, Webster), where a service will be held Monday, 11 AM. You are invited to bring a written memory or favorite photo of John for the familys memory book. Interment will be private. Contributions in his memory may be made to the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, 600 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642.

Remembering Tim Russert, 1950 - 2008

(Associated Press Photo)

I have to admit that I rarely watched "Meet the Press," but you didn't have to to know Tim Russert and respect his work. He was one of those journalists who was bigger than life - an American institution that somehow was just there every Sunday morning.

The most incredible part about Russert though, despite his fame, power, and influence, was his genuine personality grounded in his modest upbringing. He grew up in Buffalo, NY. His father was a city sanitation worker and newspaper delivery man. Tim never forgot his background, as he most clearly demonstrated through his book "Big Russ and Me."

He was a journalist who cared not about his personal status as a celebrity reporter, but about the importance of his profession. He served as the longest running anchor of the longest running television program in America. He drove the news cycle in political reporting for the week ahead for 17 years. He will continue to serve as the gold standard for political reporting and the journalism profession in general. He will be missed, especially in an election year like this one.

See the videos below for NBC's special report announcing Russert's death as well as a tribute done later that day.

NBC News tribute to Tim Russert

NBC News special report - Tim Russert

New website for Midtown redevelopment

The city has launched a new website to keep the public updated on the redevelopment of Midtown Plaza. The site includes an overview of Midtown's history and the plans for the site's future. Governor Spitzer, Mayor Duffy, and Paetec CEO Arunas Chesonis anounced on October 16, 2006 that the struggling Midtown Plaza will be torn down and Paetec will build its new headquarters on part of the site - with mixed-use development planned for the remaining portion of the site

The website also includes historic and current photos of Midtown, along with videos, documents, and a schedule for the project. Once construction gets started, a webcam will be installed as well.

Also last week, we learned some more details about Paetec's new building itself. Chesonis says that vertical windmills will be installed on the roof so the highrise can generate some of its own power. Local firm LaBella Associates, which is also involved in Renaissance Square and ESL's new headquaters, is working on a new master plan for the site, while Paetec has narrowed a search down to 2 architecture firms - both from out the the area but having a strong interest in working with other local firms in completeing the project.

Here are some of the major dates for the project:

May 28, 2008 - City of Rochester acquires Midtown Properties

June 5, 2008 - New website launched

June 30, 2008 - Xerox and Chase skyways close

August 1, 2008 - Midtown closes to the public (with exception of Clearchannel Radio in the Euclid Building and the RGRTA Bus Terminal)

September 30, 2008 - Midtown garage closes

December 31, 2008 - Clearchannel and RGRTA are moved out, all buildings vacated

June 2009 - Demolition begins, starting at Broad Street end & moving toward E. Main

November 2009 - "Paetec Parcel" cleared and shovel ready for new construction

September 2010 - Construction begins on Paetec Headquarters

November 2010 - Demolition of all Midtown buildings complete

2011 - Midtwon Garage reopens

2012 - Paetec Headquarters opens

This blog will continue to keep track of updates. For more information, go to the Midtown Rochester Rising link on the right.

Progress on the river - Transforming River Park Commons

The old eyesore known as River Park Commons, along the Genesee River in Rochester, will get a facelift. Conifer Realty, the owner of the low income housing project built in the 70s, will renovate a 200 unit tower and tear down 5 lower building along the river.

Drawings released this week show what the developer plans to replace them with. The new 100 units will have a mix of wood and brick facades, and will be built on the foundations of the existing buildings.

That leaves Bob Boyd of the South Wedge Planning Committee uncertain whether the new project will be that much of an improvment. He made a video presentation outlining many of his concerns, including the lack of on-site parking (that he fears will force in increase in street side parking in the area), limitied visual and physical access to the river, among others.

The City and the developer understand those concerns, and will work to address some of them. They say that they are limited to the layout of the original development because they need to use the existing foundations. They say that a lot of fill was used on that site, and they have no idea what contaminants may exist under the soil. While that have no knowledge of any harmful substances, they commonly exist in many areas along the river.

Either way, getting the old structures down will be an improvement. The complex is 2/3 vacant - there are 30 remaining tenents in the buildings slated to be torn down. Those residents will be out by the end of the year. For more information, check out the link to southwedge.org and look at Bob Boyd's youtube video posted below.

Ten tons of love

It's a tradition at Syracuse University to donate unwanted items to charity at the end of every school year. At the entrances to all the residence halls, and at Goldstein Student Center for the apartments on South Campus, there are large boxes to accomadate the donations. On the University's website, it was announced that this year's donations amounted to 38 tons of general goods, and 12 truckloads of furniture. This is the 13th year of the donation drive, which is sponsored by several university departments, First English Lutheran Church, and many other businesses and organizations around Central New York.

This is an amazing tradition that helps all of our neighbors in need. Even better, it further bridges the gap and creates a working relationship between SU and many other organizations and local businesses. Especially after school ends, these efforts can easily be overlooked. It is important that students take note of this achievement, and that we look for more opportunities throughout the year to give back to the community that has already given so much to our institution. And with the story featured right on the SU homepage, hopefully other schools will follow this example and take up end of the year collections of their own.

Interesting SU findings on IRS audits

(Martin J. Whitman School of Management)

The Syracuse Post-Standard / Syracuse.com reports on some interesting findings from a research center at Syracuse University's Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse found that IRS audits of large corporations (assets greater than $250 million) are down from a 64% audit rate in 1988 to a 26% rate in fiscal year 2007. The numbers were calculated based on IRS files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

The report found that while audits of large corporations have decreased, audits of smaller corporations have increased. The report warned that this could be a problem, because audits of large companies can collect more money for the government than large companies. The IRS did not deny the numbers, but disagreed with the analysis, saying that although audits for large companies are down, the collections from such audits have increased. It said audits of large corporations were down because IRS agents are meeting with the companies before taxes are filed. The idea is to come to an agreement beforehand, eliminating the need to go back an do an audit.

Researchers at Whitman responded with convincing statistics: of the smaller corporations, 34% of audits recommended no change in tax collections. Meanwhile, of the larger corporations, only 4% of audits recommended no change in tax collections in 2007.

This is something that Congress and the media should look into further. With the IRS making tax agreements instead of conducting audits, it sounds like the perfect opportunity for political favors. As a student journalist, I try to remain objective, but it has already been proven that political favors have run rampant in the Bush administration. The oil companies helped determine the nation's energy policy with Dick Cheney, and Halliburton was essentially handed the majority of on the ground defense contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, no questions asked (only to later find that the company had overcharged the government millions while building substandard facilities).

It would be interesting to share the report with professors and students at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (ranked number 1 in the US for public affairs since 1995). That way scholars of policy as well as aspiring journalists could investigate further the potential connections between politics and corporate tax collection.

CONNECTING with Syracuse: Part I, Strathmore

I feel like I have come so far this semester learning about the city of Syracuse and the community. I have had the opportunity through several different classes and extra-curricular opportunities to experience new places in the area, meet new people, and get a better understanding and appreciation for my four year home away from home.

In PAF 315 - my public affairs class - I just wrapped up a housing survey in the Strathmore neighborhood. I worked as a consultant for the local non-profit agency Home HeadQuarters, Inc. through this class. Rating the condition of 200 randomly selected houses out of 1,955 in the neighborhood, I provided the agency with baseline information before they start a new loan program for Strathmore homeowners with in the next few weeks. The survey took at least 10 hours to complete, and involved me driving around and rating each of the 200 addresses on exterior conditions. There were 10 categories: roof, gutters, windows, doors, walls, porches/patios, foundations, garages, yards, and overall condition of the property. I submitted a final report to Home HeadQuarters and to my professor on April 2nd. I happy to say that I did well (which is a relief, because its worth 50% of the course grade!). The data that I collected will be entered into a national database of housing conditions in cities around the country.

I learned a lot in the process of this project. Talking to my supervisor/ contact person at Home HeadQuarters, I found out about the valuable service this agency provides to city neighborhoods. It basically acts as a middle man lending institution. Congressman James Walsh, R-Syracuse, secures money each year from the House for Syracuse housing. He decides what neighborhoods he wants the money to go to, and then gives the money to Home HeadQuarters to loan out home owners in those specified neighborhoods. Qualified residents can then apply for home improvement loans to fix up their property, increase their home's value, and contribute to the overall quality of the neighborhood. This is just one of the services that Home HeadQuarters provides. There are several different departments (find out more at homehq.org). An interesting note: Congressman Walsh will step down at the end of this term after 2 decades serving New York's 25th district (he assumed office in 1989). It will be interesting to see how funding for Syracuse housing will be impacted by the change.

With all the driving involved in this project, I was able to see parts of the city that I otherwise would have avoided. I was glad for the change in scenery and perspective. To get to Strathmore - one of the nicest and most stable neighborhoods in Syracuse - I had to drive through some of the less stable areas of the city. The South Side has seen an economic decline for decades, as evidenced by the condition of many of the houses. Peeling paint, sinking porches, and broken windows are the norm here. These are the blocks between S. State St, Midland Ave, S. Salina St, South Ave, and S. Geddes St. It's no secret that this area is struggling, but I had no idea how big the South Side was until I drove through it. It covers a huge rectangle more than 6 blocks wide and over a mile long, starting at the south edge of downtown and stretching to the Syracuse Valley. I was stunned. But at the same time, enlightened. With all of its visible challenges, this was a much different place than the land of no return that people at SU have made it out to be.

Sure, I would never want to drive through there at night, but I was reminded that this is still a community where people live and work. As I drove, I passed a community library (that I would later spend an afternoon doing community service at - more on that later), schools, banks, stores, and most importantly...homes. This hit "home" (pun intended) when one evening I was driving back to my campus apartment and passed a father throwing a football to his two little boys out front. The house had an American flag flying high on a pole in the front yard. I can't describe how I felt at that moment. "Moved" I suppose is the best way to put it. On the one hand, this was not the American dream I have read about in textbooks growing up. These people are doing their best to get by in a part of the city that has seen progress pass it by. They live in houses that once represented the best of the American city, whose past occupants helped build Syracuse into an industrial powerhouse during the first half of the 20th century. Now, like in other rust-belt cities in the Northeast and Upstate NY, industry is all but gone, and these houses and their occupants represent the extent of economic decline endured here. "Endured" is the key word. Despite the glaring lack of economic opportunity, people get by. Families spend quality time together, go to church, and stop to talk with their neighbors. And so I was moved and glad to see "how the other half lives". There is a lot those of us on the other side of I-81 (Syracuse University, suburbs, etc.) could learn from the residents of the South Side: about community, hardship, and endurance - how to make the best out of what you have.

A visit to the Everson

Over the weekend I had to go to downtown Syracuse to visit the local art museum. It was a requirement for my art history class to visit the gallery and and take notes on visiting paper engravings (on loan from Cornell University). While taking pictures of visiting displays is not allowed, I brought my camera along to photograph the building itself. The Everson opened in 1968, and was the first museum designed by world-renowned architect I.M. Pei. The museum was actually Pei's second building in Syracuse. He also designed the first of three buildings in Syracuse University's Newhouse Communications Center. For more on my visit to the Everson, check out the podcast below. I have also included pictures from inside the building.

Everson atrium on the ground floor. The second floor is accessed through the spiral staircase shown above. the building is primarily built with concrete.

View of the spiral staircase from the second floor galleries.

There was a Jackson Pollock visiting exhibit while I was there. I thought some of his work was interesting, but found most of it unappealing.

I.M. Pei's first building in Syracuse. The Newhouse I building was the first of three that house the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Like the Everson, part of the building its below ground level. In this picture, you only see 3 of 5 levels. Two of them sit beneath the building and patio area. Again like the Everson, most of the building is made with concrete. Newhouse I was dedicated in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, during which he gave his famous Gulf of Tonkin speech.

Podcast: Everson Museum of Art

Power of the press

Earlier in the week I went to the website of my newspaper at home - the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. I read through the news, as usual, and clicked on a story that was a video from their multimedia department. I don't remember what that first story was about, but off to the side of the video screen were links to others stories. I clicked on one about homicides in 2007. I was amazed at what I saw. I saw 46 faces. Each the same size black and white picture, all lined up in a neat and orderly grid. Each representing someone from my community who was killed last year. There was more. As I moved my mouse across the page, I discovered that each picture could be opened. I randomly clicked on Adam Emling, 24. Upon reading the side bar, I remembered hearing of his killing on the news when I was home. He was killed on July 14th outside Mark's Texas Hots on Monroe Ave. in the city. He was shot accidentally as his killer aimed for someone else. All of a sudden, I hear a voice and see a picture. "He's my oldest son..." the voice says. His mother is remembering her lost child. The two of them are shown embracing. Then there is a picture of a cute toddler pressed up against a window. The audio was 2 minutes and 45 seconds long. Each second is accompanied by photographs, providing glimpses into a life that ended too soon by senseless violence. An all too familiar story in this city.

I was proud at that moment to be looking at the work of a newspaper I've grown up with. A newspaper that has remembered the people it serves, and the stories it should feel obligated to cover. In a city that had just over 50 murders in 2007, it can be easy to become desensitized. I too am guilty of glazing over the headline of another murder in the city. As it is the responsibility of the media to bring us the story, it is equally the media's responsibility to put it into context. Up until know, the local media have largely failed the latter duty. This is especially true of the broadcast outlets. They wouldn't spent more than a minute and a half at most to cover the entire story of Adam's death, let alone describing who he was as a person. And while they cannot be blamed for the short time on the air, which is the nature and necessity of broadcast journalism, they certainly can be held accountable for not utilizing their online platform to better serve the community. Luckily a newspaper with a far more progressive website rose to the challenge. It saw the need to remember last year's murder victims as people rather than just statistics. And it created the most powerful tribute of all - a tribute that nearly eliminated the role of the journalist and connected to the community directly. It exposed the memories and raw emotion through the first person. I can no longer think of Adam, or anyone else on that page, as a victim of crime. I can only think of them as people who touched the lives of those around them, and as individuals who no longer are able to contribute their unique qualities to the community.

The changing picture of Kodak and Rochester

(Kodak Park, 1982)

What started as the Eastman Dry Plate Company in 1881 would grow to transform the world of photography as we know it. In 1892, the Eastman Kodak Company was established on State Street in Rochester, NY. Rochester and Kodak have been joined at the hip ever since. The company has changed so much since then, and for better or worse, change for Kodak has meant change for Rochester. According to the Democrat and Chronicle, at Kodak's height in 1982, the company employed over 60,000 people in Rochester. But so much has changed in the past 25 years. Film, once the backbone of and the reason for its success, has been replaced with digital. Jobs have been replaced by machines, have moved to other countries, or have just disappeared altogether. In January, 2008, it was announced that Kodak's Rochester employment has fallen beneath 10,000. But nothing represents the dramatic decline of Kodak's presence in Rochester more than the changes at Kodak Park. First established in 1891, the manufacturing facility has long served as Kodak's largest production site worldwide. Its buildings have seen every major development in photography in over a century - including the invention of digital photography. It is estimated that over 200,000 people have worked there throughout its history. But the "city within a city" has seen its glory days. As a part of corporate restructuring and efforts to reduce costs, over 20 buildings have been demolished, and many others sold or leased. Last year alone, 5 major buildings were imploded (see below). But despite all of the changes, the people of Rochester will always think fondly of Kodak. They will always have the many memories filled with "Kodak Moments", along with a deep pride in helping to shape imaging and photography around the world. Below are clips of last year's implosions, as well as an audio podcast that further looks at the permanent bond shared between Kodak and its hometown.

Podcast: Kodak Park

Building 50

Building 9

Buildings 65 & 69

Building 23

Podcast: assessing progress in Rochester

With so many new development projects slated to get underway downtown this year, I wanted to take a look at where we are at and where we are going. Click on the title links below to listen. It is divided up into three parts due to web hosting file size requirements.

Downtown Progress Part 1 of 3

Downtown Progress Part 2 of 3

Downtown Progress Part 3 of 3

Renaissance Square update

A meeting last Friday about the future of Renaissance Square revealed that progress has dramatically slowed. Securing funding for the $230 million project has proven difficult, and all vendor contracts with architects and engineers have expired. Maggie Brooks said that future designs will continue to be based off of the master plan assembled by Moshe Safdie and Associates. She told the Democrat and Chronicle that new contracts will be drawn up with local firms, although Moshe Safdie has already completed its work and will not be returning to the design team. Brooks says that future design firms will have to be willing to work on a budget driven project to keep the cost at $230 million. The Federal Transportation Administration must approve plans before construction can begin. The county will submit those plans in July. The final decision on whether to go ahead with the project or scrap it altogether will be made in April of 2009. Following criticism that information was not being shared with the public, a new records access officer has been appointed to keep the public informed about the project.

ESL moving HQ to downtown Rochester

In October, it was Paetec announcing a move of its headquarters downtown. Last week, ESL Federal Credit Union CEO Dave Fieldler announced at a morning press conference that ESL would be the next local company to move downtown. ESL will build its new $50 million headquarters on the current site of a city owned parking lot at 225 Chestnut Street, across from the Strong National Museum of Play. Initial drawings show a modern 180,000 square foot building that will rise 6 stories and will be connected to a new parking garage. Construction is planned to start at the end of this summer, and ESL plans to move its 300 employees into the new facility in 2010. This follows over two years of the city trying to woo the company downtown and several incentives including selling the property at below market rate. City leaders commented that the new building will be a welcome addition to the city's southern entrance. The project will be managed by local architectural and engineering firm Labella Associates, the same firm appointed by the city to lead redevelopment at the site of Midtown Plaza.

Penfield announces new superintendent

The Penfield Central School District announced last week that John Carlevatti has been appointed the new superintendent of the district. Carlevatti, a Penfield graduate, comes from the neighboring Webster school district. In Webster he has served as deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent, and as a middle school principle. Prior to that, he served in similar capacities in the Newark and Greece school districts. Carlevatti officially joins the district on July 1. Interim superintendent Tomas Strinning will continue through June 30. The district started the search for a new superintendent at the end of the last school year following G. Susan Gray's announcement that she would be retiring at the end of the 2007 calender year. The Penfield Central School District, located in Penfield NY (a suburb of Rochester), operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

As with any change in leadership, I feel that this will be an opportunity for new thinking, problem solving, and great change. As a graduate of Penfield High School, I think there is a lot to be proud of in this school district. But as with anything, there is always room for improvement. Based on my observations, I have compiled a list of things that I think the new superintendent should address:

1) Fix the math program. This has been a problem for at least the past five years, as the district moved to math teaching involving more exploratory and group work approached to learning math. This is also known by critics as "fuzzy math." It was quickly obvious that the program was a complete failure: students were confused, state test scores plummeted, and parents were demanding answers. Despite a public demand for a change back to more traditional and time proven teaching methods, the Board of Education and superintendent resisted. Parents went so far as to form a lobby group to protest the district, calling themselves "teach us math." The dispute was heavily covered in the local media and even attracted the attention of The New York Times. While things in the past few years have started to return to normal as new textbooks were selected, there are still loose ends to tie up.

2) Foster a closer relationship between students, faculty members, administrators, and the community. This has long been a complaint of students and faculty members, especially at the high school. Despite having at least 6 administrators, there always seemed to be a disconnect between them and the students/faculty at the high school. The most visible, and arguably the most liked, administrators have since retired or moved on. To create the best learning environment possible, there needs to be a tight knit sense of community in all of the schools - although this is mostly a problem at the high school. Improving the website would be a good start. the current template based site is terrible. There are no student-oriented pages, there is no real effort made to capture the flavor of school activities, and no real incentive to ever visit the site.

3) Cuts costs where possible. Every year the budget goes up. While I recognize the sky-rocketing costs of health care benefits for employees, there is no excuse for a high school to have at least 7 full-time administrators (all of which I think it's safe to assume are pulling six figures). Schools were so quick to protest County Executive Maggie Brook's FAIR plan that called for cuts in school funding, yet just last week it came out that the Greece school district had grossly mismanaged school funds during its capital-improvement construction and renovation project. Seeing the resources that were available, I agree with Brooks' assertion that schools could afford to tighten their belts a little and eliminate excess spending.

Groundbreaking marks progress at High Falls

The city celebrated Wednesday the groundbreaking of the "Mills at High Falls." The complex is being called "affordable downtown living," and is being aimed at attracting middle class residents. The complex will consist of one and two bedroom lofts and townhouses, and will include some retail and office space. It sits on a former parking lot donated by Kodak and will be managed by the Urban League of Rochester. Construction should take about a year, and it should be ready for the first residents to move in by next spring.

This is one of several projects that are either underway or are wrapping up in Rochester's historic mill district. There are three old buildings under renovation that soon will be available for residential, office, or retail space. And Tribeca - a new bar geared toward single women in their thirties and forties - should now be open in the former Keys Martini and Piano Bar space on Mill Street. The strictly 21 and up entertainment scene will have three bars, each with a different theme, according to a write up in the Rochester City Newspaper (see link to the right in the side bar and look under archives for Jan. 16, 2008). By avoiding reaching out the college crowd, general manager Mark Monti tells City that he hopes to avoid the problems of underage drinking and rowdiness that contributed to the demise of several other bars in the area.

This is a great start to reviving the inner city. Many college grads and young professionals prefer the urban lifestyle that puts living space in close proximity to area shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Rochester is finally showing signs of capitalizing on this demographic. There are several housing projects now planned in or near downtown that would offer market rate housing options - some with light retail space included. The city is expected to name a developer to build a residential complex in the footprint of the former South Avenue garage helix ramp. And several developers are competing for the parking lot across from the Eastman Theater on East Main Street. While one developer submitted plans for a hotel, several others showed possible townhouse or apartment complexes.

Many people consider Rochester a dead city. I don't feel that is the case. I drove through downtown for the first time during the workday in late December or early January. There were thousands of people packing the parks, sidewalks, and streets. The biggest problem is that the center city area is filled predominantly with office buildings. And unlike in larger cities, these buildings are not multi-use, that is to say there is not a mixture of office, residential, and commercial. The tall building are completely offices and restaurants that cater to those offices. there is not a lot of space left for people. That explains the striking difference in the amount of people during the day and at night. During the day there are thousands of people out and about who work downtown. After 6, when everyone has gone home, the place looks like a ghost town (with the exception of the East End, which is typically packed with people on any given night). That is what we have change, and it looks like we are on the right track.

The Death of Rochester Radio

A Few days ago Entercom Radio announced that it pulled out of talks with Rochester's leading DJ "Brother Wease." Wease - real name Alan Levin - has been on the air at WCMF 96.5 FM for 22 years, and was one of the last truly unique and instantly recognizable radio personalities in Rochester. Entercom Regional Vice President Michael Doyle told the Democrat and Chronicle in a statement that he tried to keep him on: "We did our best to try and bring Wease back to WCMF, but in the end, were not able to reach an agreement." But Wease gives a different story, telling the newspaper "I am heartbroken to lose my team, and I'm heartbroken to lose the 22 years that I have behind me, because all those shows are gone." He apparently was given his letter of termination Thursday morning. The two parties had been in contract negotiations for weeks, with Wease off the air through most of it.

Sadly, this latest news comes as no surprise; it was only a few months ago that Entercom Rochester acquired WCMF and WPXYand fired 5 veteran DJ's including Dave Kane (also of WCMF) and WPXY's Pete "The Mayor" Kennedy. While Wease told the Democrat and Chronicle that his lawyers wouldn't let him comment, he did want to reassure his listeners - telling them he would be back. Shame on Entercom for further stripping any personality that was left from local radio. I hope they find that people value original programming, something this company and many of its competitors are making nearly impossible to find. And I hope Entercom learns this lesson the hard way - when listeners tune their dials elsewhere and the company is forced to sell the station back to people who care about quality.

While I will admit that I was not a listener of Brother Wease, he was a voice in radio that I respected. He is local - a native of Rochester, he cares deeply about his community. He took his listeners with him on his emotional, and successful, battle against cancer. When it was over, he wanted to be there for other victims, so he works to help cancer-related charities. He also founded "Wease Cares," a charity of his own that helps underprivileged kids in Rochester. And unlike so many other dry personalities, he is a DJ with personality. He is a Vietnam vet, and has held a fascinating array of other jobs, including being a mailman, construction worker, concert promoter, and a salesman. Lets hope that Wease can find a new frequency of airwaves to call home so that "radio DJ" doesn't have to be added to the list of former occupations.

A "World Class Reporter" - Remembering John McWethy, 1947 - 2008

For 24 years, he brought national security to the forefront of the evening news. The 60 year old died February 6 after a skiing accident in Keystone, Colorado. ABC News reports that witnesses saw McWethy miss a turn on an intermediate trail and hit a tree chest first. He was pronounced dead at 2:05 pm. He and his wife had recently moved to Boulder to be closer to the ski trails and the golf courses in their retirement.

McWethy joined ABC News in 1979 as chief Pentagon correspondent. In 1984, he became the news division's senior national security correspondent - a position he would hold until retiring from ABC in 2003. He reported during that time on military and diplomatic aspects of U.S. foreign policy, stationed mainly in Washington at the Pentagon. He was there on the morning of September 11, 2001 as the nation was under attack, reporting from the lawn and describing the destruction left by the American Airlines flight that carved through the building. That day, and in the ensuing weeks, months, and years following the attacks, he was an instrumental part of ABC News' coverage of the war on terror, and the military operations in Afghanistan.

He covered so much during his career, filing daily reports for "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" and several other ABC News broadcasts. National security, diplomacy, terrorism, espionage, and intelligence. From Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Haiti, to Somalia, Russia, and Mozambique - his assignments took him to more than 50 countries. He explained the complicated violence in Kosovo, the Persian Gulf, and Liberia. When the Soviet Union fell, he was there to watch the new countries grow up in its place. He tracked three Secretaries of State, and covered the 5 historic meetings between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

McWethy was honored with at least five national Emmy's, an Alfred I. DuPont - Columbia Award, and an Oversees Press Club Award. He was also presented with an honorary doctorate from DePauw University. Before coming to ABC News, McWethy reported for U.S. News & World Report and worked for U.S. News as a science and technology editor. Having graduated from DePauw University, he continued on to earn his master's degree from Columbia University School of Journalism.

ABC News president David Westin remembered 'Jack' in a statement to the news division:

"He was one of those very rare reporters who knew his beat better than anyone and had developed more sources than anyone and yet kept his objectivity. Jack's work made the people he covered value him, respect him, and always know that he would keep them honest... A few years ago, Jack came to me and said that he wanted to step away from his work as a correspondent. There were other things he wanted to pursue in life, both personally and in working with his church. I wish all of you could have been there for his "retirement" party to see the highest levels of the Pentagon -- civilian and military -- come to express their respect and affection for Jack. He represented the very best of ABC News. But as fine a reporter as he was, he was just that fine a man. There was an essential goodness to him that permeated everything he did. He loved his profession, but he loved his family more. And he always had a powerful sense of need to help those around him."

New concerns for Renaissance Square

"That's still the biggest boondoggle I ever saw."

Louise Slaughter raised the concern over a year ago: how will Renaissance Square pay for itself? Now those concerns are popping up again as Monroe County leaders discovered that the $18 million they thought the state had set aside for Ren. Square was actually doled out to individual performing arts uses around Rochester. This also at a time that the community grows more skeptical that the performing arts center and bus terminal will be able to support themselves without annual government subsidies. Slaughter saw this coming over a year ago:

"They're not going to have enough money to operate the thing, and they're going to have to go begging from the city and county governments, and I hate to see it coming. There was so much they could've done. They could've redone Sibley's old department store there into a bus station. And they could've had restrooms and places to come in off the street and to stage people off of Main Street, not piling everybody there like they're going to. It wouldn't have cost much of anything. But they wouldn't hear it. And the reason is that the contractors run the place."

I have always been a supporter of the project, but lately I am growing more skeptical that the thing will ever be built - at least the way it was originally envisioned. There just seem to be so many factors that have held up progress. Since the federal government agreed to pay for part of the project, it must approve the plans. They are in the process of doing that right now. Until the County gets that approval, it cannot start private fundraising. With the recent announcement of Midtown Plaza's demolition, the city may decide it wants to keep its Mortimer St. parking garage - that decision will be made pending the outcome of a parking study that is either already underway or will be shortly. If the city decides not to tear it down, as originally planned, the layout for the bus terminal and performing arts center will have to be modified - costing more time and money.


But even the concept of a performing arts center is up in the air. The original concept called for three to four separate venues of various sizes to serve different types of local performing groups. Then it seemed that it would probably be more like three - a large Broadway show sized auditorium primarily to serve the Rochester Broadway Theater League (RBTL), a medium sized auditorium, and a third smaller space. But later the plan was reduced to concentrate more on the 2 larger venues, scrapping the smallest all together. At one point there were reports that seemed to indicate Maggie Brooks was considering dropping the performing arts center concept completely - an idea that didn't sit well with Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy, who threatened that the city would not support a plan that didn't include the performing arts center. That brings us to the latest possibility (but not a final plan) of only having the large 2,800 seat Broadway-type theater.

Its as if every month there is another change to the story. County Executive Maggie Brooks is determined not to spend more than $230 million on the project. But as time is eaten up while waiting for approval of federal funding, deadlines for demolition pass. first it was last spring, then the end of last summer, now the end of this spring or sometime this summer. And that is just demolition - let alone actual construction. By the time the old buildings come down, the cost of construction will have increased to more than the projected cost for the original proposal during the original time frame. There are so many questions left unanswered, and the community that seemed hostel to the concept in the first place is demanding answers. The website, which is in the process of being updated itself (and has been for a good 6 months) provides no new information as to where we stand now.


I think this, along with the changes at Midtown, and so many other projects set for downtown, serves as an incredible opportunity. While I respectfully disagree with Ms. Slaughter on whether it should be built in the first place, I am starting to share the concerns that have turned her against it from the start. I look forward to what I hope is good news for the project sometime this winter or early spring. I'll pass along any developments. (Sources used: Rochester City Newspaper, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Pictures: Monroe County)

Community looks to Brizard for new vision, direction

(Photo by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

With a graduation rate of 39% (the lowest among the "Big 5" school districts in NY), there is clearly a lot of hard work ahead for the new superintendent of the Rochester City School District. Despite heavy odds, it seems that the school board made a good choice in the selection of Jean-Claude Brizard. In his "Plan of Entry" outlined on January 2nd, Brizard emphasized the solution "is about every child". It is easy to make nice sounding statements like that in presentation, but gaining the confidence of parents and teachers takes action. And after 21 years with the New York City schools system, Brizard knew this - so he offered something better than even action: interaction. On Friday, Brizard spent nearly 2 hours at Dr. Freddie Thomas High School talking with approximately 100 students from 16 schools. He answered their questions, and more importantly, listened to what they had to say. He heard what the major problems are in the district in the eyes of the people it serves. The session was also broadcast over the radio on WDKX-FM 103.9 and WXXI-AM 1370. It is instinct like this and an impressive background that should provide hope and a measure of comfort to parents and students. During his time in New York, Brizard served as Executive Director for Secondary Schools, Region 8 Instructional Superintendent, a high school principle, a high school physics teacher, and a junior high school science teacher. His most recent position was Senior Executive for Policy and Sustainability. Before that he was the Region 6 Superintendent, where he oversaw 100 schools and 100,000 highly diverse students - 61% of whom were economically disadvantaged. Brizard was a good find with his extensive experience relevant to the problems in Rochester. Lets hope he can be as effective here as he has been in New York. (Sources: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester City School District)

Dell to cut kiosk sales, jobs (quality cut years ago)

The Austin-American Statesman reports on its website that Dell computers is cutting 1,200 jobs in the United States and Canada. This is the most recent wave of layoffs since the company announced last May that it would cut 10% of its workforce (approx. 8,800 jobs). Dell said it will close its Alberta, Canada calling center by July and make reductions at other calling centers in Oklahoma City and Ottawa. The company also is closing 140 mall kiosks in the US as it makes more of its products available through mainstream retailers like Wal-Mart. In the past, their computers and other products had to be ordered and were only available through its website or kiosks. While initially receiving high marks and at one point becoming the top PC maker in volume worldwide, the company in recent years has been plagued with reliability issues for its PCs and has established a reputation of exceptionally poor customer service. Many college students can attest to these problems first hand, as many schools are "Dell campuses", or schools that have a relationship with the company so their students can get discounts on Dell computers. It is supposed to be an advantage to the student because they can save money and get free technical support during the four years of their undergraduate work. But, as hundreds of students find out each semester, the computers seem to have a higher tendency to break compared to other brands, and the level of service offered for free on campus is often just short of useless. It is not surprising that the company is struggling, although it sounds worse than I might have imagined considering the popularity of Dell products (which is in itself a mystery). Then again, this is the company that was forced to restate its earnings following an SEC investigation in August. It found senior management inflating sales figures to meet expectations. Personally, I'm glad I did my homework and bought an HP.

Blog restores confidence in local TV news

13WHAM.com - the online unit of the ABC affiliate in Rochester, NY - recently launched "Rochester Reports", a blog that allows well-informed reporters Rachel Barnhart and Evan Dawson to offer a less objective but generally more informative perspective on the major issues facing Rochester. This is a great way to get reporters more involved with the public, as viewers can comment on any of the postings. The website already has a community forum sections of its website, but if often goes ignored or is only utilized by a select few. I have been, and for the most part still am critical of local media outlets for their use of modern website technology. The great majority of local TV news websites are not living up to their potential in the way that news is delivered or presented. Many have outdated graphics, ugly template formatting, and reduced content compared with their broadcast efforts. This blog is a step in the right direction for providing a greater scope of news coverage and establishing a platform for the exchange of ideas. News directors are always trying to engage the public in what their stations do and with what is going on in the community. Making everything "interactive" is an industry-wide goal. Many of them, in my opinion, fail miserably in their online ventures - especially in reaching the younger demographic used to social networking and user-generated media sites such as facebook and youtube. Many smaller newspapers have actually done more with interactive web content than their broadcast counterparts. it will be interesting to see what these websites look like in another 2 to 5 years.

City revitalization needs to start with neighborhoods

As mayors from upstate NY cities work hard to reverse the decline of their rust-belt cities, neighborhoods need to be high priorities. Former Rochester Mayor William Johnson realized this and established the Neighbors Building Neighborhoods program. The nationally recognized, award winning initiative gave city residents the skills and resources necessary to draft their own neighborhood improvement plans. Within a few years, the city made 70% of the recommended improvements - enhancing the quality of life and instilling confidence in local government. This was always a focus of former mayor Johnson - to put an emphasis on neighborhoods. It was his thinking that revitalizing downtown, while important, was not the only solution. The days of national or regional department stores and other major retailers having a presence on Main Street downtown, in his opinion, were long gone. The half empty Midtown Plaza made that perfectly clear. Knowing that Midtown would never serve as the major urban shopping center that it once was, Johnson focused on neighborhood improvement and development and working to help the local businesses there. I was pleased to see the other day that Rochester leaders have not forgotten this important commitment. Earlier in the week, WHAM-TV reported city council will soon vote on a resolution to train 18 to 28 year olds to mow and clear trash and debris from 300 vacant lots in city's southwest neighborhoods. They would be paid $15 per lot, and the city would spend up to $38,000 on this effort. This comes after the city paid to demolish hundreds of vacant homes to rid streets of eyesores and havens for illegal activity. A private contractor had originally been hired to mow the lots, but failed to make good on the $200,000 contract last year. Now the city wants to make sure these lots are properly trimmed, and would like to offer residents in need of work the opportunity. This is a great way to maximize the benefit to the community in a single project: the clean lots add value to the quality of life, and by hiring members of that same neighborhood, you ensure that money is staying in the community. I hope there can be more projects that employ these concepts.