CITY October 2021

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OCTOBER 2021

IN THIS ISSUE OPENING SHOT

Blue Cross Arena reflects an image of the Times Square Building in downtown Rochester looking west on Broad Street. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

NEWS

6

BLACK, ARMED, AND AWARE

ARTS

LIFE

22

40

As gun ownership among Black Americans surges, so does the effort to destigmatize it.

WAR ON DRUGS

With the opioid epidemic raging, officials look to supervised injection sites to stem the tide of deaths.

BY GINO FANELLI

18

OFF TO THE RACES

Multi-instrumentalist Aaron Lipp keeps his audiences guessing.

24

AGELESS PURSUIT

How teaching a handful of senior citizens in Rochester to make music 30 years ago changed the world.

Elections are around the corner.

Here’s how they could reshape city, county, and school governance.

BY JEREMY MOULE

BREAKING THROUGH

The whimsical, surreal, and sometimes strange art of Bradd Young, aka Salut.

HI HONEY, I’M HOME

BY GINO FANELLI

42

ON THE COVER

BEST OF ROCHESTER

These people, places, and things are what make Rochester home.

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

36

WHAT ALES ME

The world’s ‘oldest drink’ is rising again in Rochester.

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

BY JAMES BROWN

10

SHAKE THE ROOTS

BY DAVID ANDREATTA

43 46 50 52 54

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FOOD & DRINK RECREATION GOODS & SERVICES WHO WE ARE

BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

MORE NEWS, ARTS, AND LIFE INSIDE roccitynews.com

CITY 3

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Our city of Rochester. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

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CITY 5

NEWS

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

Black, armed, and aware

Paul Adell, a co-founder of the Rochester African American Firearms Association, demonstrates pistol grip technique at the at The Firing Pin gun range in Bergen. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

Destigmatizing the stereotype of Black gun ownership, one person and one firearm at a time.

BY JAMES BROWN

P

@JAMESBROWNTV

aul Adell stood in the shooting stall wearing earmuffs atop his Chicago Bulls baseball cap. He fired a Canik TP9 Elite Combat pistol a half-dozen times, hitting a target 10 feet away with almost surgical precision.

He pressed the safety on the gun and placed it on a table in the stall before turning to me and the rest of the group.

“Praise God and pass the ammunition,” he said.

Adell, 30, was a big Black man in 6 CITY

OCTOBER 2021

JBROWN@WXXI.ORG

his element — loading guns, sharing ammo, and dispensing shooting advice — at the Firing Pin indoor shooting range in Bergen. He shoots for sport, for fun, and for protection.

The Firing Pin, a busy spot off Interstate 490 on the outskirts of Monroe County, is home to the Rochester African American Firearms Association, or RAAFA, which provides gun and self-defense training mostly — but not exclusively — to African Americans like me.

The growth in the number of organizations like RAAFA in the United States has mirrored a surge in gun sales to Black people fueled by the uncertainty of the pandemic, skyrocketing violent crime, and polls showing that half of Black Americans feel they can’t trust the police to treat them fairly.

These groups are not militant, their organizers insist, but are rather an outgrowth of a conclusion reached by many Black people that they

have been left with no choice but to exercise their Second Amendment right to protect themselves, fearing that no one else will.

“It is our fundamental belief that the duty of the people is to arm and educate themselves in order to protect and defend themselves,” reads a statement on the RAAFA website, which claims the group has received an “overwhelming interest and response” and is now the largest of its kind serving upstate New York.

“We’re not criminals. We’re not a gang,” said Adell, a U.S. Concealed Carry Association and National Rifle Association instructor. “We’re not any type of militia or military or militant type of group.

We’re a community-based organization that offers training and education.”

The group’s philosophy is that not every sign of trouble requires a gun.

Its instructors teach de-escalation techniques as well as hand-to-hand combat maneuvers.

“Every day is not a gun day. The firearm is the last resort, and that’s what we teach people,” Adell said. “The best thing to defend and combat the violence is using the mind and using the heart — and sometimes the mouth, too.”

But for me, that day was a gun day.

TRAINING DAY After crash courses on gun safety, I signed a waiver and headed to the range floor with five RAAFA members, including an educator, a counselor, and a retired Monroe County Sheriff’s Office sergeant, Mark Cochran, who is the group’s chief instructor.

There, I held a Ruger Pistol Caliber Carbine rifle and Adell and Cochran helped me adjust my stance. Adell advised me on the importance of repeating my approach with every shot, like a quarterback’s throwing motion or a point guard’s jump shot.

Within a half-hour or so, I improved, learning to use a scope and to breathe easier with a butt of a rifle lodged against my shoulder. It was tough to not anticipate the explosion out of the barrel, let alone the other gunshots on the range, but I got the hang of it.

If data is any guide, moments like these are happening around the country with greater frequency.

Gun-related background checks by the FBI have been steadily climbing for decades, but they surged to new highs in the last 18 months, according to agency data.

The almost 40 million checks conducted last year represented a 40-percent increase over 2019, and the nearly 28 million checks done through August of this year are on pace to shatter the record.

The checks do not reflect the number of guns sold, but the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that slightly more than half the checks done last year

Quinn Lawrence, one of the self defense instructors with the Rochester African American Firearms Association, during target practice at The Firing Pin. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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CITY 7

Rochester African American Firearms Association Chief Instructor Mark Cochran is a retired Monroe County Sheriff's Office sergeant. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

were conducted on new gun owners, many of them women and people of color. The group polls firearms dealers and figures gun sales to Black Americans are up 58 percent, the largest jump of any demographic group.

“Today’s gun buyer doesn’t just look like me, a 48-year-old white guy who lives in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.,” Mark Olivia, a spokesperson for the foundation, said. “Today’s gun buyer looks like the rest of America, because they are the rest of America.”

Demographic data on gun owners is hard to come by in New York, but anecdotal evidence suggests the same trend is playing out in Monroe County.

Applications for pistol permits this year through early September were up 168 percent over the same period last year, according to the County Clerk’s Office, which manages the requests.

The increase was 216 percent among residents of Rochester and 154 percent in the suburbs.

In the past, getting a permit typically took six to nine months. But the backlog is so great now that County Clerk Jamie Romeo said her staff is telling most applicants to expect to wait a year.

“I think 2020 was an unfortunate perfect storm, where there were lots of other outside influences that for whatever reason made people interested in gun ownership,” Romeo said. “It’s created a swell that we are not necessarily seeing dip in at this moment.” “[T]here’s just a lot of people that are looking for ways to have some personal safety,” she went on, “and simply owning a firearm won’t make an individual safer, especially if they don’t know how to use it.”

LEARNING FROM PEERS RAAFA has grown as well.

When the organization was founded last November by Adell and fellow small business owner Michael Nix, it served a handful of members. Today, Adell and Nix count a few dozen members, about half of whom are women.

Nix, a 54-year-old Marine veteran, grew up around guns. He said part of the appeal of groups like RAAFA for new Black gun owners is learning from instructors who look like them, like he did.

“My grandfather was a hunter,” Nix said. “I identify (with gun owners) because I grew up in the house and the house was exposed to that type of activity.

But the average kid that grew up in a

8 CITY

OCTOBER 2021

Members of the Rochester African American Firearms Association shoot targets together at The Firing Pin. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

neighborhood with me, doesn’t.

“There’s the issue of trust,” he continued. “We tend to be more willing to accept something from someone we trust. When you’re here, you’re getting educated by someone who can relate to your struggle.”

Jasmine Barksdale, 28, a call center supervisor from Rochester, was among the first members of the group.

Barksdale said fear kept her away from guns for most of her life, but joined RAAFA after learning about it from a friend. Now, she does community outreach for the group, dubbing herself a “2A person” — a “Second Amendment person.”

“Like basically most Black women,” Barksdale said, “I wasn’t raised in a home that was firearm-savvy.”

Barksdale said she was motivated to pick up a gun by a different kind of fear: Being a single mom of an 8-year-old daughter.

“I have a child in my home, and I

want to be able to protect her,” Barksdale said. “I don’t want to have to wait for someone else to come and advocate for me or be able to protect my home. I need to be able to do that myself.”

Phillip Smith, founder of the 40,000-member National African American Gun Association, said Barksdale’s sentiment is common, particularly in light of the volatility of the last year.

“The big elephant in the room is the pandemic,” Smith said. “The pandemic was a game-changer because that made people that are even anti-gun give me a call and ask, ‘What gun do I need to buy? Because I think there might be mob violence. There might be a shortage of food. There might be a shortage of resources. I don’t know if people will want to come to our neighborhood, we will have lawlessness in our community.’”

Citing the long history of gun control laws in the United States that impinged the rights of African Americans to own

guns, Smith said that Black people are still maligned for wanting access to firearms.

Images of Black people with guns, he said, have always been negative. That is something that both the national and local gun groups have worked to counter.

“Other communities have guns all the time,” Smith said. “The Jewish community, the Asian community, the white community, and nobody bats an eye. We get questioned. Why is it so different for us?”

NOT A FAD The last year-and-a-half has seen rapid change — lockdowns, mask mandates, civil unrest — and a spike in violent crime in cities across the country.

Homicides and aggravated gun assaults hit peaks in the summer of 2020 and continue to hover above pre-pandemic levels, according to the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice.

Shootings and slayings in Rochester are at least at 10-year highs. Last year, the city had its first riot in half a century, followed by months of civil unrest marked by clashes between protesters and police over the way the city handled the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who suffocated while in police custody.

Civil unrest is not permanent. Violent crime ebbs and flows. Pandemics are temporary by nature.

Adell said these conditions awakened people to their vulnerability and played a role in the rise of gun ownership and growth of his group. He asserted that Black gun groups aren’t a fad, but rather the latest incarnation of a rarely acknowledged American tradition.

“It’s been a very silent group, but it has always existed,” Adell said. “And I think because of the conditions, it has brought people out, and I think because of organizations like RAAFA, people feel a little bit more secure.”

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CITY 9

NEWS

WAR ON DRUGS

As the opioid epidemic rages on, supervised injection sites still at a stalemate

BY GINO FANELLI

O

@GINOFANELLI

ften overlooked during the pandemic has been the nation’s other health crisis: the opioid epidemic.

But more than 95,000 Americans died of drug overdoses over the 12-month period that ended in February, according to the latest federal data available, eclipsing the toll from any year since the opioid epidemic began in the 1990s.

In Monroe County, the overdose death toll climbed to 137 in 2020, an increase over the previous year but short of the all-time annual high 10 CITY OCTOBER 2021

GFANELLI@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

reached in 2017.

As public health officials, drug policy experts, recovery advocates, and politicians continue to grope for solutions to stem the toll of opioids, they are increasingly turning their attention to supervised injection sites.

These sites, often called overdose prevention centers by advocates, are locations where people can shoot heroin or any other injectable drug under the watch of a medical professional trained to intervene should something go wrong.

In recent months, elected officials representing Rochester at various levels of state and local government have expressed support for bringing the centers to the city.

“When it comes to opioid abuse and addiction services right now, what we’re doing is not working,” state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said in a recent interview. “Trying something new, even if it’s just a pilot program to collect data in New York, let’s do that instead of sitting on our hands and doing nothing.”

Stances like his have been

shaped by the experiences of Canada and Europe, where the sites have long been available, and places like Rhode Island, which recently became the first state to legalize the sites, potentially setting itself up for a showdown in federal court.

Former President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice stymied the creation of supervised injections sites in 2018 when it sued an organization in Philadelphia looking to open a facility. A federal Appeals Court this year ruled that supervised injection sites, while

innovative, violate a federal law that makes it a crime to open a property to others to use drugs.

Advocates for the sites were left shaking their heads.

“They’re actually not as controversial as most people think they are,” said Biz Berthy, drug policy campaign coordinator for VOCAL-NY, a grassroots organization that aims to empower low-income people affected by the drug war. “It’s pretty well known that for over 30 years, overdose prevention centers have worked very successfully across the globe.”

EFFECTIVE OR ENABLING? Not long ago, it seemed like supervised injection sites were on their way to New York.

In 2018, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo sought re-election, he all but endorsed them in a televised debate.

“The safe injection sites I think are something we should look at,” Cuomo said. “They are very controversial, they are very complicated, the federal government is decidedly against them and could shut them down, but they are something we have the Department of Health working on in concert with New York City.”

A few months earlier, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had announced a pilot program to bring four supervised injection sites to his city. Three years on, though, the sites have yet to materialize, in part because of the federal government’s opposition that played out in court.

De Blasio is now reportedly looking to “fast-track” the sites before his term ends this year, and most top mayoral candidates looking to succeed him have said they support opening the centers.

Meanwhile, in August, Rhode Island established a two-year pilot program to test the feasibility of what it called “harm reduction centers,” which would provide medical screenings, drug testing, and a space for people to inject drugs under the watch of medical professionals.

“I think what we’re starting to see is states recognize this is a thing that works,” said Melissa Moore, New York state director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “What we’re seeing

Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Favata with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office works with the county’s Heroin Task Force. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

in Rhode Island is a shift towards a harm reduction model, and we hope it renews the call for New York exploring that option.”

“Harm reduction” in the United States has been a contentious approach to the war on drugs. The main goal is not to help drug users abstain, but to reduce their risk of dying or acquiring infectious diseases by providing them with sterile equipment and supervision.

Distribution of the overdose reversal drug Narcan is another example of harm reduction.

The chief complaint of the strategy has been that it enables drug users, but President Joseph Biden has made expanding harm-reduction efforts one of his drug policy priorities, becoming the first president to do so. Congress specifically set aside $30 million for “evidence-based” harm reduction services.

Supporters of supervised injection sites point to Canada, which opened its first center in Vancouver in 2003. After nearly a decade of political and legal wrangling that culminated in a Canadian Supreme Court

ruling favoring the approach, the Canadian government today reports 37 sites across the country.

Calls to 911 for crimes that range from public urination and prostitution to sexual assault and robbery have reportedly risen near the most popular sites in the biggest cities. A study of one unnamed site in Vancouver found that 70 percent of the people who used the facility lived within 1,500 feet of the building.

At the same time, the study suggested the site served its purpose in reducing the number of deaths related to drug overdoses. In that same radius, the risk of overdose death dropped from 253 to 165 per 100,000 residents after the injection site opened. Researchers estimated that one overdose death was prevented for every 1,137 users in the area.

“What I found,” said Berthy, of VOCAL-NY, “is it really boils down to this internalized mindset of the war on drugs, which has also generated a very specific framework to how we approach substance abuse disorders in this country.”

AT A STALEMATE Two competing bills in Albany offer a clear picture of the stalemate over the issue of injection sites in New York.

One bill, dubbed the “Overdose Prevention Centers Act,” which would allow for the establishment of the sites, has been introduced by Democratic Sen. Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx.

Another bill, supported by state Sen. Fred Akshar, a Republican who represents Binghamton and Southern Tier counties, would ban the sites from ever getting off the ground.

Both bills are stuck in committee.

Cooney, the Rochester state senator who favors the sites, cast the political will for injection centers as growing, but lagging.

He pointed to a bill he cosponsored to decriminalize the sale of hypodermic needles that passed the Assembly and Senate but has yet to be signed into law as an example of how slow New York is to move on such matters.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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Film program with discussion @ SJFC St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Skalny room 141

Oct 13 6:30 p.m. Objector

Film programs with discussion @ The Little The Little Theatre, 240 East Ave, Rochester NY, Little 5

Oct 16 4:30 p.m. Solidarity: Five Largely Unknown Truths about Israel, Palestine and the Occupied Territories Oct 17 2:30 p.m. Gaza Fights for Freedom Oct 23 4:30 p.m. Imprisoning a Generation Oct. 24 2:30 p.m. The Present preceded by the short: Occupation & De Facto Annexation

An emergency Narcan box is located outside 570 W. Main St. PHOTO BY NOELLE E.C. EVANS

WPFF.us and Facebook Celebrating our tenth anniversary; admission is free, no tickets required

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“That’s where we are as a policymaking body, we just legalized the ability for someone to go into a drug store and purchase a syringe,” Cooney said. “We’ve got a long way to go on the political will spectrum.”

Some supporters of injection sites have attempted to make them more palatable by suggesting they could be paid for by the $1.1 billion settlement the state negotiated to resolve claims against opioid manufacturers.

Assemblymember Demond Meeks, a Democrat from Rochester, floated the idea at a news conference in July, saying the 137 overdose deaths last year didn’t have to happen.

“That’s totally unacceptable,” he said, “and it’s something we can prevent.”

The Monroe County Heroin Task Force was formed in 2018 to provide a coordinated law enforcement response to the opioid epidemic locally. Task force data show the crisis remains in full swing.

Overdose deaths rose steadily and peaked at 220 in 2017, but fell substantially before bouncing back last year. The 91 overdose deaths in the county this year through August, the last month for which data was available, put the county on pace to match last year’s count.

Mike Favata, a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy on the task force, said

the pandemic exacerbated the problem.

“We have people that have completely changed their lifestyle from when they were actively using, and now we’ve shut them off from that, they can no longer go to work, they can no longer go to the gym, they can no longer have that outlet they had prior to COVID,” Favata said. “With that being said, they reverted right back to their old habits.”

He credits Narcan, the brand name for the nasal inhalant overdose antidote naloxone, with preventing deaths. But he does not support supervised injection sites.

“Normalizing drug use, normalizing and giving people who potentially want help a safe place to do something, they might think, ‘You know what, if I can go in here and do something without the risk of dying, why would I want to stop?’” Favata said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to prevent it.”

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NEWS

OUT OF SCHOOL

Monroe County pays millions to out-of-county community colleges

PHOTO BY GINO FANELLI

When county residents go to community college elsewhere, your tax dollars go with them.

BY GINO FANELLI

H

@GINOFANELLI

undreds of students from Monroe County headed off to community colleges outside the county last month — and with them went millions in county tax dollars.

Under a state law that dates back nearly 70 years, fees known as “chargebacks” are imposed on counties when their residents attend 14 CITY OCTOBER 2021

GFANELLI@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

a community college outside their borders.

Monroe County has paid more than $49 million in chargeback fees to other counties over the last 10 years, and budget records show the figure grows almost annually.

In 2012, the county paid out $3.1 million. This year, it will spend about $6 million.

The payouts are in addition to what Monroe County already spends to fund Monroe Community College, which amounts to about $19 million a year.

The arrangement has gotten scant attention here. But it has been a contentious issue for years in Erie County, where Erie Community College finance officials and the

county’s fiscal watchdog liken the payouts to taxpayers being billed twice for community college services.

Monroe County, like Erie County, passes on the cost of community college chargebacks to the municipalities where the students live.

That means that taxpayers in Rochester, where scores of residents

Over the last 10 years, Monroe County taxpayers have paid more than $49 million for its residents to attend community colleges in other counties. FILE PHOTO

receive their education at community colleges outside the county, were billed $1.4 million in chargeback fees last year, according to county records. By comparison, the town of Rush, where few residents attended schools outside of Monroe, paid about $34,000.

“It certainly doesn’t seem fair,” said Lynne Dixon, associate deputy comptroller for Erie County.

“Taxpayers are already shelling out millions to fund their own schools, and then they’re being told by the state they have to shell out millions more for the privilege of their students to attend a college outside of Erie County.”

Community colleges in New York are funded from three sources: state aid, student tuition, and the sponsoring county government. The state created the chargeback system in the 1950s to cover the county’s portion of that funding equation for students from other counties.

Monroe County and Monroe Community College benefit from chargebacks. Last year, counties across the state were billed $4.7 million in chargebacks by MCC, where roughly 17 percent of the student body hail from cities, towns, and villages outside Monroe County.

But the gap between MCC’s chargeback revenue and what local municipalities pay to outside community colleges has grown dramatically and could widen further if the number of Monroe County residents enrolled at outside colleges increases.

Chargeback revenue is split unevenly between MCC and Monroe County to cover operating expenses incurred by the college and capital expenses incurred by the county. The result is that Monroe County received about $500,000, while its residents collectively paid out $6 million.

The rest of the chargeback revenue went to MCC. The arrangement makes sense to Darrell Jachim-Moore, the vice CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 15

president of administrative services at MCC, who issued a statement touting the college’s “exceptional value” and “high-quality programs” as being draws for students from outside the county.

But officials at Erie Community College and in Erie County government have been trying to get the law on chargebacks changed for years, despite little political interest elsewhere in doing so.

In a notable twist, however, Erie Community College’s former chief financial officer and a longtime vocal opponent of chargebacks, William Reuter, changed his stance on the matter when he was appointed vice president of administration at Hudson Valley Community College in Rensselaer County, which draws a third of its students from a neighboring county without a community college.

“I now tell people I love chargebacks,” he told The Buffalo News in 2017.

Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw has not changed his tune. In July, he wrote to Erie County legislators highlighting that taxpayers paid $7.7 million for their residents to attend school outside of Erie and urged lawmakers to ask why.

“The result is your constituents are essentially paying twice,” he wrote. “Taxpayers already fund a portion of ECC. Then they have to pay again for their students who attend community college elsewhere.”

Howard Maffucci, a Monroe County legislator who sits on the Ways and Means Committee and is a former public school superintendent who spent a career dissecting budgets, disagrees with the comptroller’s logic.

“He either doesn’t understand this, doesn’t want to understand this, or is playing politics,” Maffucci said. “Unless Erie County is doing something different than Monroe County, you don’t get double-charged.”

But Erie County’s comptroller is not the only one to rail against community college chargebacks.

The Ulster County comptroller released a report in 2015 decrying the disparity between the chargeback revenue it took in from 16 CITY OCOTBER 2021

PHOTO BY DAVID ANDREATTA

“It certainly doesn't seem fair. Taxpayers are already shelling out millions to fund their own schools...”

LYNNE DIXON, ERIE COUNTY ASSOCIATE DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

other counties to what it paid out.

That year, Ulster paid out more than $3.1 million and took in $78,000.

“The revenue listed above pales in comparison to the amounts expended for chargebacks,” the report reads. “This difference is directly linked to the small number of non-resident students at UCCC compared to the much larger number of Ulster County residents who enroll in community colleges elsewhere across the state.”

About three-quarters of what the county paid out went to colleges in counties that border Ulster.

Similarly, the bulk of what Monroe County taxpayers pay for its residents to attend community college elsewhere goes to schools in neighboring counties.

Genesee Community College took in $2.4 million from Monroe County taxpayers last year, while Finger Lakes Community College in Ontario County received $1.9 million, according to documents provided to CITY by Monroe County.

Opponents of chargebacks have argued that counties whose payouts exceed their revenues — as is the

case in Monroe County — need to ask why their residents are seeking an education outside their border and whether their community college is falling short.

Supporters of chargebacks posit a counter argument: If the chargeback system disappeared, what would be fair about asking taxpayers of a county with a popular community college that draws students from afar to subsidize those students?

“You can’t talk about government services without discussing how they’re paid for, you’re only giving half the story,” Maffucci said. “That puts people in a tough spot, because they want things, but they don’t always want to pay for things. I’m crystal clear on one thing—nothing’s free, someone’s paying, someway, somehow.”

roccitynews.org CITY 17

NEWS

OFF TO THE RACES

Primary winners try to lock in Council seats

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n this year’s City Council elections, 11 candidates are battling it out for five open seats.

Typically, primary elections function as the general election for City Council, but this year is a little different. There are five Democrats on the ballot, all of whom clawed their way through a crowded primary field, who will face three Republican challengers, two Working Families Party candidates, and a representative of the Voice of the People Party.

The winners will take office following more than a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted every aspect of life. They’ll also be seated at a time of elevated racial, social, and political tensions locally and nationally. Against that backdrop, they’ll have to make hard decisions about myriad issues, from road projects to funding and reforming the Rochester Police Department.

The new Council will also be working with a new executive in the form of presumptive Mayor-elect Malik Evans, who defeated incumbent Mayor Lovely Warren in the June primary.

The candidates represent a mix of incumbents, activists, and community advocates.

MITCH GRUBER

Democrat mitchgruber.com Access to healthy foods has been a major focus of Mitch Gruber’s career, and he has woven that interest into his role on Council as a driving force behind the city’s Food Policy Council, and as a go-to contact for the city’s growing urban agriculture and garden community.

Gruber was elected to Council in 2017, but his work in the city spans about a decade, most of it through Foodlink, where he is the chief strategy and partnerships officer.

His other interests include affordable housing and equitable development in the burgeoning cannabis industry. He currently serves as the chair of Council’s Parks and Public Works Committee.

18 CITY OCTOBER 2021

ANN LEWIS

Republican, Conservative friendsofannlewis.org As a Democrat, Ann Lewis unsuccessfully sought several offices, from the County Legislature to the state Assembly. But this time around, as she seeks a City Council seat, she’s running as a Republican and is carrying the Conservative line.

Lewis has downplayed the importance of her party affiliation. On her website, she stated that she believes all political ideologies “have some facet of merit” and that she embraces their positive dimensions.

As far as policies, Lewis wants to develop those which promote generational wealth, tax breaks for homeowners and small business owners, and reforms to keep the community safe.

Lewis is a special education teacher in the Rochester City School District.

Prior to that she worked for 16 years as a rehabilitation counselor at the Monroe County Jail.

WILLIE LIGHTFOOT

Democrat willielightfoot.com Willie Lightfoot is closing out his first term on City Council but has the longest political tenure of any of the candidates seeking one of the body’s five at-large seats. Lightfoot was elected in 2006 to represent southwest Rochester in the Monroe County Legislature. He served three terms before taking up his post on the City Council, where he is the vice president.

Lightfoot is a retired city firefighter and a veteran of the United States Air Force who served in Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. His priorities include public safety — he has been steadfast in his support for Rochester police officers — as well as economic and youth development.

STANLEY MARTIN

Democrat, Working Families Party peoplesslateroc.com Stanley Martin has been part of Rochester’s activist community for several years, but she rose to prominence last year as a lead organizer with Free the People Roc and the Black

Lives Matter movement.

Martin currently works as a parole and re-entry coordinator for the advocacy organization VOCALNY. She was a member of the Police Accountability Board Alliance and formerly interned as a mental health counselor for Monroe County inmates.

Falling solidly to the left of the other Council candidates, Martin is focused on abolishing police and prisons and has a staunch anti-capitalist viewset. She believes city government is not working for the people.

MIGUEL MELÉNDEZ

Democrat, Working Families Party melendezforcouncil.com Miguel Meléndez was appointed to City Council a year ago to fill the seat left vacant when Jackie Ortiz became the county’s Democratic elections commissioner.

His work, past and present, has focused largely on revitalizing neighborhoods along the North Clinton Avenue corridor. He played

roles in creating La Marketa on North Clinton and the El Camino Revitalization Area Charrette and Vision Plan.

Meléndez, who for the past year and a half has served as Ibero-American Action League’s chief community engagement officer, refers to himself as a “bridge builder.

JASMIN REGGLER

Working Families Party Jasminforjustice.com Jasmin Reggler entered the public eye when she was denied an opportunity to work as an aide to Councilmember Mary Lupien because she failed a drug test that detected THC in her system. She took the issue public and, as a result, the city stopped testing many current and prospective employees for marijuana use.

Throughout her campaign, Reggler has emphasized that she would strive to listen to the needs of the community. As house coordinator at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, a job she’s had for eight years, and as an organizer for the Rochester CityWide Tenants Union, housing issues and homelessness are among her key focuses.

Reggler, who will appear on the Working Families Party line, is also a staunch supporter of the Police Accountability Board, which she believes needs more funding and independence from city government.

VICTOR SANCHEZ

Working Families Party votevictorsanchez.com Victor Sanchez has focused his campaign on issues such as housing and homelessness, and investing more in historically neglected areas.

He is also a proponent of reducing the staff and weaponry of the Rochester Police Department, funding the Police Accountability Board, and expanding the city’s Person in Crisis team.

An RIT graduate who works for Wegmans as a virtual design and construction systems administrator, Sanchez also serves on the board of Trillium Health, City Roots Community Land Trust, Reconnect Rochester, Genesee Land Trust, and Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region.

A Mexican immigrant, Sanchez ran unsuccessfully for Monroe County Legislature in 2019, seven months after receiving U.S. citizenship.

KIM SMITH

Democrat, Working Families Party facebook.com/kimsmithforcouncil Kim Smith is a former employee of the Monroe County Health Department best known for her work on matters related to HIV, though she got her start at the agency in the early 1990s working on lead control.

After she left her role as a supervising public health representative

in 2017, Smith went to work for the activist organization VOCAL-NY. Last year, she made a run for the 61st State Senate District seat and, later, vied to fill a vacant seat on the City Council.

She lost both campaigns.

Although she is a member of The People’s Slate with Stanley Martin and others, Smith’s beliefs are less radical than her running-mates. She does not favor abolishing the police, but does believe reforms are needed, including redirecting money from the Police Department to affordable housing, educational opportunities, and financial empowerment.

MARCUS WILLIAMS

Republican, Conservative facebook.com/marcus4rochester/ When Marcus Williams ran for City Council in 2019, it was the first time someone had run on the Republican line in eight years. This year, he’s one of three GOP candidates for Council on the ballot. He also has the Conservative line.

Williams’s website uses the motto “Saving You Money and Increasing Quality of Life,” and his agenda follows that theme. He calls for a forensic audit of city government and limiting spending by cutting back on “city corporate welfare.” He opposes the notion of “defunding the police,” saying it would harm Black and underserved communities.

He wants to create programs to support entrepreneurship, rework zoning codes, pursue a public-private partnership to build a city-wide ultrahigh-speed wireless internet network, and wants to invest in infrastructure.

ANTONIA WYNTER

Voice of the People facebook.com/Antonia-Wynter-forCity-Council-114667200661900 Antonia Wynter is an independent candidate running on the Voice of the People line.

Wynter is a member of the Community Justice Initiative, an activist group with a stated aim of dismantling white supremacy in education, economics, housing, healthcare, politics, and other areas, and also to empower communities in those sectors.

As one of her top priorities, Wynter has said she wants to address the way the city handles residents with mental health issues, adding that those in need of support are often victimized and criminalized. Specifically, she has called for community policing and directing funds away from the Police Department and into other community-based alternatives.

Her platform also emphasizes using community projects to provide training to young people, renovating vacant houses for homeless and lowincome people, investing in the arts, and contracting with businesses to keep them in the city for seven years.

JAYVON JOHNSON

Republican, Conservative facebook.com/FriendsofJohnson Jayvon Johnson, who is on the Republican and Conservative lines, did not have any background or details of his platform on his website. He did not respond to an email sent to his campaign account seeking that information.

roccitynews.com CITY 19

Monroe County Legislature could go either way.

Here are the races to watch.

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ith all 29 seats in the Monroe County Legislature up for grabs in November, voters have a chance to influence the makeup of a county government that has been plagued by infighting and bitter partisanship for the better part of 18 months.

The dysfunction began shortly after Adam Bello was elected in 2019 as the first Democratic county executive in 32 years, when Republican legislators, who hold a one-set majority, tried to ram through a series of bills designed to strip the incoming executive of some of his powers.

In the ensuing year, Democratic legislators splintered over an intra-party disagreement about who to appoint as the party’s county elections commissioner. The fallout included the ouster of the minority leader and a breakaway bloc of Democrats who began voting with Republicans.

During the June primaries, Democratic voters effectively unseated four of the five breakaway members, thereby removing one source of friction in the Legislature.

Now, which party will control the chamber hangs in the balance.

There are several uncontested races, for both Democrats and Republicans, on this year’s general election ballot, with the most competitive and consequential races being in the suburbs.

CITY has identified six contests whose outcome may not only determine the balance of power but also illustrate political shifts occurring in some of Monroe County’s towns and villages.

5th District

(Henrietta, Mendon, Pittsford, Rush)

Terry Daniele

Democrat, Working Families Party terrydaniele.com

Richard Milne

Republican, Conservative rickmilne.com When she ran for the Legislature in 2019, Democrat Terry Daniele came within 400 votes of defeating the Republican incumbent Karla Boyce. This year, Boyce is out on term limits — the second time she has been forced to leave after serving the 10-year maximum — and Daniele is facing popular Honeoye Falls Mayor Richard Milne.

Milne, a Republican who is well-liked in his village and held in high regard by other elected leaders locally and statewide, has been mayor since 2005 and spent two years as president of the New York Conference of Mayors.

Daniele, an American Sign Language interpreter with a private practice, has emphasized fiscal responsibility and boosting the local economy — helping small businesses, in particular — during her campaign. Milne has positioned himself as a bridge builder who wants to work with County Executive Adam Bello and legislators across party lines. His priorities include holding the tax rate flat or lowering it and supporting programs to strengthen county law enforcement.

20 CITY OCTOBER 2021

8th District (Webster)

9th District (Penfield)

Matthew Terp

Mel Callan

Megan Thompson

Paul Dondorfer

Republican, Conservative matthewterp.com

Democrat, Working Families Party votemeganthompson.com The contest between Republican Matthew Terp and Democrat Megan Thompson is a weird one.

The two faced off before, in 2019, when Terp defeated Thompson. He would be the incumbent candidate this time around had he not resigned from his seat on Aug. 11, citing health reasons.

It stands to reason that an incumbent who steps down in the middle of a term no longer wants his seat. But Terp’s resignation came too late under state Election Law to remove his name from the ballot.

That means if voters elect Terp again and he doesn’t want the seat, he would have to resign again after taking office, and the Legislature president would appoint someone to replace him.

Legislature President Joe Carbone has identified Jennifer Wright, a Republican from Webster, to take his place.

But wait, there’s more!

Before stepping down, Terp posted on his campaign Facebook page that although he is struggling with long-haul symptoms of COVID-19, he would still like voters’ support.

Thompson has a simpler path forward, and the confusion around Terp’s candidacy coupled with the name recognition she’s built could work to her benefit.

Democrat, Working Families Party votemelcallan.com

Republican, Conservative pauldondorfer.com Republican Paul Dondorfer is finishing up his first term in the Legislature facing a challenge from Mel Callan, an active Democrat who has run for office several times previously.

This race is worth watching because Penfield has been undergoing a political shift, with more residents registering as Democrats and voting for them.

Democrats had a tiny edge during the 2019 elections, but now have an advantage that is a few hundred voters strong.

In the 9th Legislative District, the edge translates to enrolled Democrats outnumbering enrolled Republicans by about 60 voters. If Democrats can flip the seat, they’ll score a big win — it’s been under Republican control for over 20 years.

11th District (Fairport, Perinton)

Sean Delahanty Republican, Conservative seanmdelehanty.com

Joshua Foldare

Democrat, Working Families Party joshfoladare.com

This contest is another rematch from a close 2019 race.

That year, Republican Sean Delahanty, who was first appointed to the 11th District seat in 2014 and was twice re-elected, defeated Democrat Josh Foldare by roughly 240 votes, or about 3 percent of the ballots cast.

But Fairport and Perinton have become bluer over the past two years.

Republicans had a slight enrollment advantage in 2019, but the numbers have since reversed.

Foldare’s platform addresses an issue of great importance to many residents of his district: Waste Management’s High Acres Landfill. He has pledged to work with other governments to address odors and other problems neighbors have with the facility, and to develop a plan to stop it from importing trash from New York City.

Delahanty plays up his extensive record of involvement with community organizations and his government experience. He was chief of staff for former Assemblymember Mark Johns, was an outreach manager at the county’s Youth Bureau and Office of the Aging, and a Fairport village trustee from 2011 to 2014.

16th District (Irondequoit) Joe Carbone

Republican, Conservative facebook.com/County-Legislator-DrJoe-Carbone-237046742978826

Dave Long

Democrat, Working Families Party davelongformonroe.com As the Legislature’s president, Republican Joe Carbone is a high-value target for Democrats, who selected West Irondequoit Board of Education President Dave Long to take him on.

Carbone is something of an anomaly — a Republican who represents a solidly Democratic district and has been reelected to his seat twice. But he has alienated Democratic legislators by blocking their bills and bringing the breakaway faction of their caucus into the Republican fold.

Long entered the contest with some

ROCHESTER SCHOOL BOARD TO GET NEW BLOOD

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name recognition after serving on the West Irondequoit school board for three years and as its president for the 2020-21 school year. On his webpage, he states that he “finds the divisiveness in the Legislature very troubling,” and that he wants to work with the Bello administration to improve county government.

18th District

(East Rochester, Perinton)

John Baynes

hen city voters head to the polls in November, they’ll find a ballot for a school board race that conventional wisdom suggests is all but settled.

There are four candidates for three open seats, but one of those candidates is on a minor party line and, after suspending his campaign upon losing the Democratic primary, has not been a force in the contest.

The seats will almost assuredly go to the three candidates on the Democratic line, two of whom will be new to the board.

All three of them, though, will have their work cut out for them. For as long as most people can remember, the Rochester City School District has pinballed from crisis to crisis.

For the better part of the last two years, the district has grappled with the aftershocks of a self-inflicted budget deficit that was so bad the board laid off 175 employees, including more than 100 teachers, to shore up the gap.

More recently, the district scrambled to fill a shortage of bus

Democrat, Working Families Party johnburnsbaynes.com

Stacie Whitbeck

Republican, Conservative staciewhitbeck.org When Democrat John Baynes was first elected in 2019, he unseated Republican Kara Halstead, who had been appointed to the seat earlier that year. In doing so, he flipped a seat that had long been held by the GOP. Republican Stacie Whitbeck is trying to win it back. If she is successful, she could help her party retain control of the Legislature. But their district now leans Democratic, an advantage that, combined with his incumbency, likely gives Baynes an edge.

Whitbeck, a registered nurse who worked in health care for 25 years but who now works in real estate, emphasizes controlling county spending and working with Democrats when interests and ideas align. She’s said she wants to make sure police departments remain fully funded, but that in emotional and volatile situations, officers should have immediate access to a licensed mental health professional to help de-escalate the scene.

Baynes has been a teacher for 44 years. His priorities include ensuring Monroe Community College remains affordable and provides high-quality education, backing programs that support entrepreneurs and small businesses, working to build mutual respect between first responders and the people they serve, and integrating mental health services with law enforcement.

JOSHUA BAUROTH

https://www.facebook.com/FOJBauroth Joshua Bauroth, a Monroe County legislator from Brighton, has not been actively campaigning since he lost the Democratic primary in June. He will be on the ballot, however, under the Working Families Party banner.

drivers that forced the postponement of the academic year and left a few hundred students without transportation for the first few days of school.

Then there’s the perennial issue of lackluster student achievement that has relegated Rochester to a permanent cellar dweller among the state’s school districts in pretty much every performance category that matters.

Sure, there have been some modest improvements. For instance, the graduation rate in 2019 hit 63 percent, a figure officials said was the highest in 20 years. But that was due in part to the district shepherding students toward the least academicallyrigorous diploma, one that prepares them for entry-level employment instead of college or a skilled trade.

All of the candidates in this race have thoughts on how to support students and promote academic achievement among them, as well as their own priorities for district leadership.

The three winning candidates will serve four year terms.

the board overlapping with crisis after crisis, she was the top vote-getter in June’s nine-way Democratic primary for the three open seats.

Elliott, who works as the associate executive director of Baden Street Settlement, was first elected to the board in 2005 and currently serves as its vice president. Over the years, Elliott has consistently said that she wants to make sure that the district has effective leadership, has pushed for greater parent involvement, and has called for better lunches for students.

CAMILLE SIMMONS

JAMES PATTERSON

CYNTHIA ELLIOTT

facebook.com/cynthia.elliott.982 Cynthia Elliott is the only incumbent city school board member on the ballot and remains popular among voters. Despite her time on

governance and finances, fixing what he calls “charter schools’ financial drain,” incorporating restorative practices into the district, parent engagement, and improving on-time graduation rates.

jameslpatterson.com James Patterson, a Democrat, is a retired New York State Trooper who, after his 27-year career in law enforcement, began a career in education. He has taught or provided academic support at several schools and currently instructs security guards and teachers’ assistants at SUNY Brockport’s Rochester Educational Opportunity Center.

Patterson’s platform prioritizes district

simmonsforboe.org Camille Simmons, a Democrat who will also appear on the Working Families Party line, began working with Rochester City School District students in 2009 as a youth advocate. She is now the continuous improvement manager for ROC the Future, an initiative focused on enhancing academic outcomes for city students.

She has said the district should assess policies, practices, and funding with an eye on racial equity; focus on improving school climate, high school graduation rates, and high-quality instruction; pay more attention to the voices of students and parents; and work with the broader community of stakeholders to secure more adequate funding.

roccitynews.com CITY 21

ARTS

TEMPLE TUNES

Aaroin Lipp’s repertoire of bluegrass, folk, country, and rockabilly has propelled him to the top of the Finger Lakes roots music scene. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

AARON LIPP HAS ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’ Meet the musical chameleon of the Finger Lakes.

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

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he road to musician Aaron Lipp’s home in Naples already felt remote and rural before it turned to dirt and narrowed to a single lane under a thick canopy of trees.

His house, a two-story number he began building from the ground up six years ago that doubles as a recording studio called Temple Cabin, was hard to spot on its perch on a steep hill in the middle of a forest.

22 CITY OCTOBER 2021

@DANIELJKUSHNER

DKUSHNER@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

But there was Lipp to greet me, looking every bit like an artist who lives in the woods, with his closecropped beard and olive-toned clothing topped by a brimless fleece cap. Nearby, lumber lay about waiting to be turned into a larger studio.

“The setting absolutely has so much to do with the sounds that come out of here,” Lipp said.

“Because all music is is emotion, vibe. When you listen to music,

that’s all you’re getting from it.”

Born in Prattsburgh to a carpenter-musician and a nurse, the 32-year-old Lipp is among the preeminent roots musicians in the Finger Lakes, and is fresh off the release of a new solo album, “Nothing to Lose,” a collection of laid-back rock and folk that he called “probably the most original thing I’ve ever done.” It’s as close to a pop record as you’ll get from him.

“There are a lot of people who are going to listen to that, and it’s going to be not what they expected,” he said. “And that’s what I want.”

Lipp got his start as a teenager playing keyboards for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, before carving out his own niche with the jamgrass band The Cabin Killers by combining bluegrass-style licks with rock ‘n’ roll drums.

Today, he plays bluegrass and folk with brothers Bobby and Douglas

“The setting absolutely has so much to do with the sounds that come out of here,” Lipp says.

“Because all music is is emotion, vibe.” PHOTOS BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

Lipp plays his resonator guitar at home in Temple Cabin Studios, where he records and produces music for himself and his friends. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

Henrie and Mount Pleasant String Band, rockabilly with his band The Slack Tones, and roots music with Ben Haravitch and Dirty Blanket’s Max Flansburg as the Temple Cabin Band.

On Oct. 13, he is scheduled to play Bop Shop Records in Rochester with Southern singersongwriter Ric Robertson.

Lipp is a multi-instrumentalist — he plays guitar, banjo, organ, fiddle, and drums — who doesn’t fit neatly into any conventional country-musician stereotype and tries like hell to avoid being pigeonholed into any one genre by playing with people’s expectations.

“I don’t even like the word ‘genre,’” Lipp said.

His studio is busy with 17 instruments and a full drum kit, and sound equipment that makes an audiophile jump for joy: highfidelity boutique microphones from Schoeps and Stager, Tree Audio preamps, and even an old Concertone magnetic tape recorder.

“If you have a good sound at the source, and you put a nice microphone on it, you can’t go wrong,” he said.

His goal with each recording, he said, is to capture everything as it is in the room — the emotion, the vibe — whether he is producing for himself or other musicians.

Haravitch, who met Lipp six

years ago when he sought him out for banjo lessons, recalled Lipp’s approach to teaching as steering clear of mechanics and technique and focusing on harnessing the spirit of the music.

“He’s just sort of like the burner that moves the energy around in the stew, as the stew is cooking,” Haravitch said of Lipp’s place in the Finger Lakes music scene. “He’s like the flame beneath it all.”

Next to a futon in a far corner of Temple Cabin Studios is a bookshelf crowded with eclectic titles: “The World of Duke Ellington,” “The Art of Tim Burton, the autobiography “Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis, the photography book “American Music” by Annie Leibovitz, and “Stories of the Buddha.”

Given his library, Lipp’s musical influences aren’t surprising.

A metal head in his youth, he learned the guitar by playing along to songs

by Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, and Green Day. Later he was turned onto classic ’60s rock and psychedelia through Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead, and Jerry Garcia.

Eventually, he was bit by the bluegrass bug and delved into vintage country sounds and oldtime music.

“I really enjoy breaking down barriers between, especially being someone who was so kind of obsessed with traditional styles for so long, but also making original music,” Lipp said.

“I mean, there is no end to making original music,” he went on.

“There is no end, ever. We can only get better within ourselves.”

roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 23

ARTS

SENIOR LIVING

New Horizons began as a music ensemble for a handul of senior citizens in Rochester. Thirty years later, it has 10,000 participants in 42 states and three countries. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

AND THE BEAT GOES ON New Horizons celebrates 30 years of making music with Rochester seniors.

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

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hen Roy Ernst, an Eastman School of Music professor, set out in 1991 to form a band of senior citizens from around Rochester with little to no musical experience, he wasn’t looking to change the world.

He wanted to give people whom he saw as being stuck in the past, disconnected to their present and 24 CITY OCTOBER 2021

@DANIELJKUSHNER

DKUSHNER@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

its future, a chance to improve their lives by making music. He called his ensemble New Horizons.

“I say often that music connects people to life,” says Ernst, who is now retired. “And probably most importantly, it connects you to other people.”

Thirty years later, the group he founded here has grown into the New Horizons International Music

Association, a vast nonprofit network of 10,000 participants in more than 230 bands and orchestras operating in 42 states, five Canadian provinces, and in Australia.

In Rochester alone, New Horizons comprises three wind bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands, separate flute, clarinet and saxophone groups, and a chorus.

The organization plans to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a concert on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. in Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall. The concert features the world premiere of “Ceremony and Celebration” by Larry Neeck, a codirector of New Horizons’ Concert Band and Symphonic Band.

“It’s just meant to show the exuberance and joy of music,” Neeck

Music Director Larry Neeck conducts the concert and symphonic bands in a joint rehearsal for New Horizons’ 30th Anniversary concert on Oct. 29, 2021. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

says of the composition, “and then the joy that comes with being able to play in a band, and the shared joy in the music that all these people get.”

He calls New Horizons participants “fearless, brave people who have chosen to push themselves.”

Anyone can join New Horizons nowadays, but the organization still tends to draw people who are over 50 and either returning to music later in life or finding it for the first time.

Many who join a New Horizons ensemble abandoned an instrument they played in their youth and are yearning to return to it. They view their participation as not only a chance to become reacquainted with their younger selves, but to expand their social circles into a community creating art.

Clarinetist Sue Ames had not picked up an instrument since high school before she started playing with New Horizons in 2005 upon retiring.

She says the social aspect of the group is essential for her.

“There is something really special about playing music together,” she says.

Trumpeter Michael Doolin had a similar return to music. He says he hadn’t played in 60 years, since he was a student at The Aquinas Institute of Rochester.

“That’s really the whole point of New Horizons,” Doolin says. “It’s not too late.”

Ernst says New Horizons was meant to be an example for those who wanted to start bands in their communities and to debunk the narrative that one could be too old to start making music.

“Before New Horizons started, the general feeling was that there was a window of opportunity in elementary school when you could start on an instrument,” he says.

Many New Horizons musicians are retired from medical, legal, engineering, and education fields and wanted to do something different. Some had no prior musical experience.

“People with no musical background at all can get started, they can learn to read music, and they can learn to play an instrument,” Ernst says. He’s also fond of telling musicians, “In New Horizons, your best is good enough.”

In addition to regular rehearsal, band members can take part in group lessons. Ernst says this kind of instruction is vital.

“A person who starts on an instrument taking private lessons, they tend to lose interest if they’re not part of a group,” he says.

The pandemic caused major complications, making in-person rehearsals and group lessons all but impossible. The band had to rehearse over Zoom with the help of a program called SmartMusic, which allows the musicians to play along to a professional recording. They couldn’t hear one another, but familiarizing themselves with the music was preferable to no rehearsal at all.

“The big part of it is camaraderie

— being around other people,” says Petar Kodzas, dean of Eastman Community Music School. “So, I think that was the part that was seriously challenged.”

The New Horizons anniversary concert will be the ensemble’s first since the pandemic began.

There is an excited but focused energy among the musicians.

Performing live is a big part of it, but so is the opportunity to socialize and interact face-to-face.

“That’s the beauty of the whole thing: It’s not just about music,” Neeck says. “It’s about companionship, it’s about pushing yourself, doing something new, staying vital, staying alive.”

This story includes reporting by April Franklin.

roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 25

NEW MUSIC REVIEWS

“REAL LOVE”

BY CAMMY ENAHARO Cammy Enaharo is a local singersongwriter and guitarist for several musical projects including Gold Koa, Ben Morey & the Eyes and Pleistocene.

Following her superb effort with Dessert in 2019, Enaharo gave listeners a taste of the upcoming EP “Hard to Look At” in September.

The new single, “Real Love,” is a delicate acoustic ballad featuring Enaharo’s vivid storytelling and rich vocal tone. She originally penned the single for Gold Koa, but decided to release it herself.

“I wrote ‘Real Love’ on a mandocello that I was borrowing from Bernunzio Uptown Music during quarantine,” Enaharo says. “I listened to the voice memo on my phone after forgetting about it for a while and it made me cry. That doesn’t usually happen, so I decided to keep it for myself.”

Enaharo worked on the track with producer Noah Almekinder, who’s become the scene’s “go-to producer” for eccentric and oddball punk releases.

The lyrics are deeply confessional throughout. In the chorus, Enaharo sings, “But you wait for it and disappoint yourself / Yeah, you wait for it, for a broken shell.” The single’s moody and intimate atmosphere pairs gorgeously with the sonorous acoustics and honest songwriting. — BY JOE MASSARO

“MY NAME IS GUSS”

BY NEGUS IRAP I first heard rapper Corey Waterman, aka Negus Irap, in the music video for “Cereal,” a kind of novelty hip-hop song by Redbeard Samurai about the perennial breakfast food staple. Of the three emcees featured, it was Waterman 26 CITY OCTOBER 2021

who stole the show with his irreverent, almost punkish delivery and ability to spit bars with a combination of smooth and sass.

Fast forward to 2021, and Negus Irap has reemerged with a commanding performance on his new album “My Name Is Guss,” mixed by Ian Fait at Wicked Squid Studios and released Sept. 3.

Negus packs nine songs into a mere 25 minutes, a testament to the value of leaving the listener wanting more. On the opening track, “Change of Heart,” a mellow keyboard hook and trip-hop beat set the tone.

“I used to feel like the truth was gonna kill me/ Now I feel like the truth is gonna heal me/ Middle finger to whoever don’t feel me/ All I got for you is the real me, and I don’t mean to be so harsh,” Negus sings before launching into what comes across like an unapologetic diss track to anyone who might doubt him.

Negus’s voice is not deep, booming, or overly intimidating, but his tone is loaded with swagger. The 25-year-old Waterman leans into Negus’s wily and street-wise persona, utilizing whipsmart wit and an untiring flow. “Nu York Giant” stands out as a prime example of Negus’s distinctive brand of clever taunting over complex rhythmic patterns.

Negus Irap’s commitment to his authentic self is a recurring theme on the album. What sets the rapper apart is his unique blend of piquancy and poignancy, and “Reset” may be the best example of this combination: “Throw up the peace to your cancel culture/ Believe I’m the man who taught ya/ Some people can’t handle culture/ ...My heroes are canceled authors/ So keepin’ it real can haunt ya sometimes.”

Musically, Negus Irap keeps things fresh by teaming up with a different producer on each track, resulting in an engrossing sound world that rarely repeats itself.

Speaking of repetition, if “My Name Is Guss” loses a step at all, it’s when Negus makes what can only be described as a “meow” sound during songs’ interludes.

It’s silly and innocuous, but it’s also gimmicky and distracting, particularly because this sly cat impression pops up frequently. Ultimately it’s not enough to dismantle the powerful momentum Negus has built up for himself here, but what was endearing and quirky the first time becomes obnoxious after the fifth time.

That blip notwithstanding, there’s a lot to love about “My Name Is Guss.” In particular, “Corner” is a sleeper pick for the best track on the album. Produced

by Nat Beats, the song pulls no punches about the realities of city life and the ever-present threat of violence.

“I stay right around the corner from another corner,” Negus raps. “Ima new survivor, Ima rep my side/ If you don’t see me in the mornin’ Ima ‘nother goner/ Ima ‘nother n**** that got caught up on the block.”

Negus Irap is one of Rochester’s brightest young hip-hop artists, and

“My Name Is Guss” is an excellent calling card. Negus makes music that manages to be both fun and intense — not an easy feat. If you hadn’t heard of Negus Irap, consider yourself properly introduced. — BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

“SIMPING FOR THE VILLAIN/ HYPERPOP MR. BRIGHTSIDE”

BY BOY JR. TikTok isn’t just a platform for trendy dance videos and high-stakes challenges — it’s become a tool for creative expression for artists across the globe. For Erica Allen-Lubman, aka indie pop-rock artist Boy Jr., the popular app has provided a space for her to reach thousands of new fans and followers.

Her most popular videos include creative mashups of songs, as well as comedic musical compositions about experiences in her personal life. One of her videos, posted in September, chronicled the navigation of a difficult breakup through song and amassed over 1.5 million views. Allen-Lubman has become highly adept at utilizing the platform to her advantage, guiding fans to hear longer versions of her songs by subscribing to her Patreon, an app that provides users with exclusive content from artists.

On Sept. 30, Boy Jr. released two full-length tracks based on her viral TikTok posts from this past summer. The first single, “Simping for the Villain,” is an original piece in which Allen-Lubman comically discusses falling in love with a story’s antagonist. The second song, “Hyperpop Mr. Brightside,” is selfexplanatory — it’s a hyperpop version of the 2003 hit single by The Killers.

On “Simping for the Villain,” robotic synths are heard alongside a thumping bass line and distorted guitars. AllenLubman’s voice enters into the equation with tone and phrasing reminiscent of avant-garde indie rocker St. Vincent.

The lyrical content is light-hearted

enough to put a smirk on the listener’s face. Allen-Lubman playfully pontificates on the reasoning for her attraction to the anti-hero, singing, “I don’t know what gets me going about the ones with malicious intent / Or maybe it’s just the character design?” As the song comes to a close at just over two minutes, she flexes her skills as a guitarist with a solo fit for The Strokes or Arcade Fire.

“Hyperpop Mr. Brightside” is a prime example of the highly popular versions of songs that Allen-Lubman has covered on her TikTok. On this track, she warps her voice with autotune, creating a sound akin to early-aughts “mall pop” artists.

The tempo is sped up from The Killers’s original, converting “Mr. Brightside” from a melancholic breakup song to a clubbing anthem.

Allen-Lubman keeps busy updating her followers on TikTok daily with new mashups and original music, with a second full-length album planned for December. Until then, “Simping for the Villain” and “Hyperpop Mr. Brightside” serve as a preview of what’s to come — and a great excuse to host a private 2000s-themed dance party with your best friends.

— BY EMMARAE STEIN

Submit your music and art events online at roccitynews.com roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 27

MUSIC CALENDAR With evolving NYS guidelines for live music, events are highly subject to change or cancellation. It’s wise to check with individual venues to confirm performances and protocols.

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Cortadito. Smith Opera House, 82

Seneca St. Geneva. thesmith.org. Fri., Oct. 22, 8 p.m. $20.

Gordon Lightfoot. Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. kodakcenter.com/events.

Wed., Oct. 20, 8 p.m. $35+.

John Dady & Friends. Rochester Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Ave., godenlink.org. Sat., Oct 16, 7:30 p.m. $15/$20 Levi Gangi. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Fri., Oct. 15, 7 p.m.

Rochester Mandolin Orchestra. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe.

Sun., Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m.

Rochester Ukulele Orchestra. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Sat., Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.

AMERICANA

Aaron Lipp & Ric Robertson. Hollerhorn Distilling, 8443 Spirit Run. Naples. 5312448. Sat., Oct. 16. $15/$20.

Brian Lindsay Band, The Occasional Saints. Photo City Music Hall, 543

Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Thu., Oct. 7, 8 p.m. $8.

John Rybak & Friends. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Wed., Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m.

Mr. Heartache. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Thu., Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m.

The Mustard Tigers, Tyler Westcott.

Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Wed., Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. $10.

The Prickers, Max Flansburgh & Corey Owens. Hollerhorn Distilling, 8443 Spirit

Run. Naples. 531-2448. Sat., Oct. 23. $20/$25.

Willie Watson, Jackson Cavalier. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. Sat., Oct. 16. $15/$20.

BLUES

Brandon Santini. Fanatics, 7281 W Main

St. Lima. fanaticspub.com. Tue., Oct. 26, 7 p.m. $20/$25.

Chris Cain. Fanatics, 7281 W Main St. Lima. fanaticspub.com. Mon., Oct. 18, 7 p.m. $25/$30.

Harper & The Midwest Kind. Fanatics, 7281 W Main St. Lima. fanaticspub.com.

Tue., Oct. 19, 7 p.m. $15/$20.

Jeremy Pinnell & His Band. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. Thu., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. $12/$15.

Owen Eichensehr & Pat Harrington.

Fanatics, 7281 W Main St. Lima. fanaticspub.com. Sat., Oct. 30, 7 p.m. $10.

Steve Grills & The Roadmasters. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe.

Thu., Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m.

Sue Foley. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. Fri., Oct. 29, 9 p.m. $30/$35.

CLASSICAL

Duo Perla. George Eastman Museum,

900 East Ave. eastman.org. Sun., Oct. 17, 3 p.m. W/ museum admission: $7-$18.

E-Na Song & Lara Sipols. Tower Fine Arts Center, 180 Holley St. Brockport.

395-2787. Wed., Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. $9/$17.

28 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra. Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, 20 Fort Hill Ave. Canandaigua. fhpac.org. Sat., Oct. 23, 7 p.m. $15/$25.

A Fresh Start. Nazareth College Glazer Music Performance Center, 4245 East Ave. chambermusicrochester.org.

Through Nov. 1. Online broadcast: Oct 29-Nov 1. $35.

Fugues & Fudge. Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd. 225-6160. Fri., Oct. 15, 7 p.m. Cheryl Frank, organ; Joanna Frank, cello.

Going for Baroque. Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900. Sundays, 1:30 & 3 p.m. W/ museum admission: $6-$15.

Horn Choir. Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St. 274-3000. Fri., Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

Ken Luk, classical guitar. George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. Sun., Oct. 10, 3 p.m. W/ museum admission: $7-$18.

RPO: König Conducts Saint-Saëns.

Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. rpo.org. Thu., Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 9, 8 p.m.

RPO: Paremski & Rachmaninov. Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. rpo.org. Thu., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 23, 8 p.m. $30 & up.

Ryan Hardcastle, viola; Brock Tjosvold, piano. Nazareth College Wilmot Recital

Hall, 4245 East Avenue. 389-2700. Sun., Oct. 31, 3 p.m.

Sanctuary, Renaissance quartet.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. Sun., Oct. 24, 3 p.m. W/ museum admission: $7-$18.

Wilmot Wind Quintet. Nazareth College Glazer Music Performance Center, 4245 East Ave. 389-2700. Fri., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Brondo, Decadon. Photo City Music Hall,

543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Sat., Oct. 23, 8 p.m. $20.

Ghostfeeder. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Fri., Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.

XOTEC, Richie Salvaggio, Peter Foltz, Tenerfuse. Photo City Music Hall, 543

Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Fri., Oct. 22, 9 p.m. $10.

Yheti, Abelation, Honeybee, Basha, LitaLotus. Photo City Music Hall, 543

Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Sat., Oct. 30, 8 p.m. $23.

JAZZ

Austin Giorgio, The Swooners, Brianna Collichio. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-

1964. Sat., Oct. 23, 7 p.m. $23-$53.

Bill Tiberio & Friends Quartet. Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd. jazz901.org/events. Thu., Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

Boney James. Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. kodakcenter.com/events. Wed., Oct. 27, 8 p.m. $39+.

Eastman Jazz Lab Band. Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St. Tue., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.

Eastman New Jazz Ensemble, Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs

St. 274-3000. Wed., Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.

John Palocy Trio. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Sun., Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m.

Laura Dubin Trio. Little Cafe, 240 East

Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Wed., Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.

Megan Kehrer Trio. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Thu., Oct. 28, 6:30 p.m.

Mid-Century Modern Jazz Quartet. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe.

Wed., Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m.

Mike Kaupa/Gordon Webster Jazz Duo. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/ cafe. Sat., Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Stephane Wrembel. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Oct. 7-8, 8 p.m. $25/$30.

HALLOWEEN THEME

The Cool Club, The Lipker Sisters. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com.

Sat., Oct. 30.

Halloween Spooktacular. Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road. Fri., Oct. 29.

Hollerween: Dirty Blanket. Hollerhorn Distilling, 8443 Spirit Run. Naples. 5312448. Sat., Oct. 30. $20/$25.

The Honey Smugglers, Folkfaces, The Broken Ribs. Flour City Station, 170 East

Ave. 413-5745. Fri., Oct. 29. $15/$20.

Junkyardfieldtrip. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor. 775-2013. Sat., Oct. 30, 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Slushii, Yultron. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-1964. Sat., Oct. 29, 8 p.m. $27.50

HIP-HOP/RAP

MC Lars, Mega Ran, MC Frontalot, Schaffer the Darklord. Bug Jar, 219

Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. Thu., Oct. 14. $17/$20.

Twiztid, Bluud Brothers, Owl Eye Round.

Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Sun., Oct. 10, 6 p.m. $25.

METAL

Bodysnatcher, Boundaries, Left to Suffer, Mouth For War, Deadbeat, & White Tides. Montage Music Hall, 50

Chestnut St. 232-1520. Thu., Oct. 28, 6 p.m. $16.

Gojira, Knocked Loose, Alien Weaponry.

Main Street Armory, 900 E. Main St. 2323221. Thu., Oct. 28. $35.

Praun, Inertia, Death Wont Hold. Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745.

Fri., Oct. 22. $10/$15.

Slapshot, Sheer Terror, Skullcrack, Borrowed Time. Montage Music Hall, 50

Chestnut St. 232-1520. Mon., Oct. 25, 7 p.m. $20/$22.

POP/ROCK

Acid Dad, Ginger Faye Bakers, Fuzzrod.

Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com.

Tue., Oct. 5. $15.

Big Smile, Rematch, 20 Something, Maple Hill. Photo City Music Hall, 543

Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Tue., Oct. 19, 7 p.m. $10.

Brian Wilson with Al Jardine & Blondie Chaplin. Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd.

kodakcenter.com/events. Sun., Oct. 10, 8 p.m. $31.50+.

Bug-toberfest: Summerbruise, Elsewise, Catatac. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave.

bugjar.com. Sat., Oct. 9. $10.

Call For The Priest, Dysplacer. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520.

Fri., Oct. 22, 7 p.m. Judas Priest tribute. $12/$15.

Igor & the Red Elvises. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. Mon., Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m. $15/$20.

Intrepid Travelers, Fran. Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047.

Thu., Oct. 28, 8 p.m. $10.

Kal Marks, KindofKind, Rut, Broadsword.

Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com.

Tue., Oct. 19. $10.

LITZ, RootsCollider. Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745. Sat., Oct. 16. $12/$15.

Max Creek 50th Annniversary. Water Street Music Hall, 204 N. Water St. waterstreet2020.com. Sat., Oct. 23, 9 p.m. $20.

The Painted Birds. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Thu., Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m.

Ron Gallo & Becca Mancari, Chickpee.

Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Tue., Oct. 12, 7 p.m. $15/$18.

Ryan & The Revelators, The Wily Tycoons, Jimso Slim. The Club at Water

Street, 204 N. Water St. waterstreet2020. com. Thu., Oct. 14, 7 p.m. $10/$15.

The Strut, Starbenders. Main Street Armory, 900 E. Main St. 232-3221. Fri., Oct. 15. $28.

Violet Mary. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Sat., Oct. 23.

Wreckless Eric. Bop Shop Records, 1460 Monroe Ave. bopshop.com. Tue., Oct. 5, 8 p.m. $20.

PUNK/HARDCORE

Agent Orange, Blue Envy, Underwater Bosses. Montage Music Hall, 50

Chestnut St. 232-1520. Sat., Oct. 9, 7 p.m. $16/$18.

County Kings, Sedai, An Easy Death.

Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Thu., Oct. 21, 8 p.m. $7.

Days N’ Daze, Bridge City Sinners, Crazy & The Brains, Apes of the State. Photo

City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave. 4510047. Mon., Oct. 18, 8 p.m. $20.

Nuclear Assault, Rotten UK, Kryst, Moment of Truth. Photo City Music Hall,

543 Atlantic Ave. 451-0047. Sat., Oct. 16, 8 p.m. $15.

R&B/ SOUL

Debbie Kendrick Project. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Fri., Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m.

RPO: Kings of Soul. Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. rpo.org.

Fri., Oct. 15, 8 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 16, 8 p.m. $30+.

Taurus Savant. Little Cafe, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org/cafe. Sat., Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m.

VOCALS

Bach Cantata. Hatch Hall, 26 Gibbs St. 274-3000. Sun., Oct. 17, 3 p.m.

Nellie McKay. Hollerhorn Distilling, 8443

Spirit Run. Naples. 531-2448. Sat., Oct. 9. $20/$25.

Repertory Singers & Treble Chorus.

Kilbourn Hall, 26 Gibbs St. 274-3000.

Fri., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.

INSIDE WXXI PUBLIC MEDIA | WXXI-TV PBS AM 1370/FM 107.5 NPR l WXXI CLASSICAL WRUR-FM 88.5 l THE LITTLE THEATRE

AMERICAN MASTERS: Becoming Helen Keller Tuesday, October 19 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV Revisit Helen Keller’s rich career and explore how she perpetually put her celebrity to use to advocate for human rights in the pursuit of social justice, particularly for women, the poor, and people with disabilities.

Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress

Helen Keller, 1907.

In

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy, 1913.

honor of the premiere of Becoming Helen Keller, WXXI has produced two videos featuring Rochester Institute of Technology students, who are working to improve technology for people who are deaf or hard of hearing through research in the RIT Center for Accessibility and Inclusion Research Lab (CAIR Lab).

Segment one, airing on WXXITV throughout October, features Abraham Glasser, a Ph.D. student in Computing and Information Sciences at RIT. Informed by his own experience as a person who is deaf, his research focuses on changing technology by including people who are deaf or hard of hearing during the development phase in order to increase accessibility.

Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan and Alexander Graham Bell, 1894.

In segment two, posting on WXXI’s Facebook page in October, you’ll meet Dr. Kristen Shinohara, co-director of the RIT Center for Accessibility and Inclusion Research Lab (CAIR Lab), and Becca Dingman, a master’s student in the humancomputer interaction program that is working on the CAIR Lab project.

Becca’s work focuses on improving ASL animations to make them easier to understand for users who, like herself, are deaf or hard of hearing. roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 29

Meet WXXI Television Program Director

Irene Fink

Irene is responsible for programming strategy and scheduling on WXXI’s television stations, as well as City 12, Rochester’s government access channel. We sat down with her to ask her a few questions about upcoming PBS specials and the future of TV.

1. What are the must-see programs/series coming to WXXI-TV this fall?

Two must-sees premiere this month! They are American Masters “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” which airs October 5 at 9 p.m. and American Masters “Becoming Helen Keller,” premiering October 19 at 9 p.m. Others coming out later this year include: The Oratorio: A Documentary with Martin Scorsese and Independent Lens “Storm Lake,” which asks if American democracy can survive without the backbone of independent local journalism?

2. What is the most-watched program on WXXI-TV?

It varies. Masterpiece is often towards the top of the list. Finding Your Roots and Antiques Roadshow are strong contenders, as is anything featuring British historian Lucy Worsley as the presenter.

3. Why is Lawrence Welk still airing on WXXI-TV?

The Lawrence Welk audience is quite loyal and have been very vocal the few times that we have dared to preempt the program. The new season, which launched in September, is everything that the Welk audience enjoys, including holiday specials and tributes to performers like Irving Berlin and Fred Astaire. And in December we will be airing a reunion special, which was recorded in 1985. It reunited Lawrence and his Musical Family for the first time following their phenomenal 27-year run on national TV. At the time, no one realized it would also be the last time they would all perform together with their beloved boss.

4. Are there any new PBS Kids shows coming down the pike?

Alma’s Way premieres on October 4th. From Sonia Manzano (Maria on Sesame Street!) and Fred Roger’s Productions – the animated series for kids ages 4 to 6 focuses on critical thinking and helping young viewers to discover their own unique voice and find solutions to challenges. Alma is a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl living a fast-paced life in the Bronx alongside her family, friends, and neighbors.

5. Do you think appointment television will become a thing of past?

I think it all depends on where you are in life. For me, I set my DVR and watch things when I want to. I also stream quite a bit. But for folks like my parents, they look through the TV Guide and select what they want to watch. At WXXI we try to serve both audiences to the best of our ability. We select the best programming and stitch together a schedule that will hopefully please the traditional viewer. We also are working hard to get more of our content on even more services so that no matter how you watch television you can find the best of our best.

With the advent of Live Linear Streaming Rights, we now have been able to program a stream that matches our linear broadcast signal. So if you are in our viewing area, you no longer need to be sitting in front of an actual television to see what we are airing on WXXI-TV. You can watch on any internet connected device. That is so handy!

30 CITY OCTOBER 2021

WXXI-TV • THIS MONTH American Masters Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It Tuesday, October 5 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV Discover how Rita Moreno defied her humble upbringing and racism to become one of a select group of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winners.

Explore her 70-year career with new interviews, clips of her iconic roles, and scenes of the star on set today. Repeats 10/9 at 4 p.m. and 10/10 at 11 p.m.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Getty Images

Women and The Vote Monday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV Filmed on Election Day 2020 in five cemeteries across New York State, Women and The Vote is a mosaic-style documentary on the past 100 years of women’s political equality, the present moment, and the possibilities for the future. Interviews and verité footage of visitors in The Bronx, Sleepy Hollow, Auburn, Rochester, and Buffalo intertwine with rich historical elements to generate connections between New York’s rich suffragist legacy and contemporary voters.

Unearthing Ogawa Monday, October 11 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV An American finds a dead Japanese soldier in a battlefield cave and tries to return the man’s diary to his Tokyo family after the war. Decades later, the American’s son retraces the footsteps, finds out what happened, and meets the Ogawa clan today.

Powerful new details are revealed in Tokyo, Hiroshima, and across the United States. Photo Credit: Edward Gajdel

La Frontera with Pati Jinich Fridays, October 15 and 22 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV Savor the sights, sounds, and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed James Beard Awardwinning chef Pati Jinich, host of PBS’s Pati’s Mexican Table, as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people, and cuisine.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alan Jinich/Mexican Table LLC

Music for Life: The Story of the New Horizons Friday, October 29 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV In honor of the 30th anniversary of the New Horizons Music Program, a program for senior musicians whose skills range from novice to seasoned, WXXI presents an encore of its 2015 documentary about the music program. New Horizons defies the notion that “retirement means sitting on your sofa all day, watching television, and waiting to die.” That’s how Dr. Roy Ernst, professor emeritus at Eastman School of Music and New Horizons founder, puts it. Photo credit: WXXI

TURN TO WXXI CLASSICAL FOR MUSIC PERFECTLY TUNED TO YOUR DAY

The Met: Live in HD In theaters now!

The Met’s 2021–22 season of live movie theater transmissions features ten productions, beginning in October.

Check local movie listings for locations. This month features:

Alone Together Friday, October 8 at 2 p.m. on WXXI Classical In recognition of World Mental Health Day (October 10), WXXI Classical brings you this special. Cantus, the eight-member male a cappella ensemble has partnered with Call To Mind, the American Public Media Initiative to foster new conversations about Mental Health. You’ll enjoy a beautifully crafted program of popular music and classical pieces that can help address the question of finding connection in the age of COVID-19 when so many have felt isolated and alone. Photo credit: Nate Ryan Photography

10/9 + 10/13 Mussorsgky’s Boris Godunov Bass René Pape, the world’s reigning Boris, reprises his overwhelming portrayal of the tortured tsar caught between grasping ambition and crippling paranoia.

Photo: René Pape as the title role in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” Photo credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

10/23 + 10/27 Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones The first opera by a Black composer presented on the Met stage and featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells a poignant and profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship.

Photo: Will Liverman as Charles in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones Photo credit: Zenith Richards /Met Opera

CD Spotlight Starting in October on WXXIClassical.org and WXXI Classical

Live from Hochstein Wednesdays at 12:10 p.m., beginning October 13 on WXXI Classical Live from Hochstein returns to the Hochstein Performance Hall and kicks off the new season with a performance by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Hosted by WXXI Classical’s Mona Seghatoleslami, the series presents performances by some of the finest artists from the Rochester area’s musical community.

The concerts, which run from 12:10-12:50 p.m are free and open to the public. Please note: All audience members are required to have been fully vaccinated. To learn more, visit: WXXIClassical.org or hochstein.org. Photo: Host Mona Seghatoleslami Photo credit: Aaron Winters

WXXI Classical has its eyes and ears on the latest releases from classical artists working today. When we come across a story or a release we think you might enjoy, we’ll be sharing it with you on CD Spotlight. You’ll learn more about the artists online at WXXIClassical.org and you’ll hear selections from these artists on FM 91.5. CD Spotlight shares new releases by artists that you’ll want to know and some by great artists and ensembles that deserve to be in the spotlight again.

AM 1370, YOUR NPR NEWS STATION + WRUR-FM 88.5, DIFFERENT RADIO Unexplainable from Vox

Intelligence Squared U.S. : Agree to Disagree: Should Congress spend trillions to Build Back Better?

Sunday, October 10 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 The Biden administration wants to spend big. Its $4.5 trillion “Build Back Better” plan includes hefty investments in infrastructure, unprecedented spending on the labor force, and funding for a host of Democratic policy priorities. But just what would this mean for the American economy? As Washington takes up this historic plan, we ask: Should Congress spend trillions to “Build Back Better”?

Sunday, October 24 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 This hour-long special explores some of the most exciting unanswered questions in physics. All over the world, scientists are searching for dark matter: an invisible, untouchable substance that holds our universe together. But they haven’t found it. Are they chasing a ghost? We trace this quest for answers from the first hint of something strange in distant galaxies to the modern research cracking open the very foundations of physics.

Uprooted: The 1950s plan to erase Indian Country Sunday, October 31 at 9 p.m. on AM 1370/FM 107.5 This radio documentary presents the voices of people who survived a devastating plan to solve “the Indian problem.” In the 1950s, the U.S. government launched a campaign to assimilate Native Americans by eliminating reservations, terminating tribal governments, and persuading Native people to move to cities. Hundreds of thousands of Native people relocated to distant cities such as Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

Alt.Latino The Little Concert Series presents: Joe Beard with Hanna PK and the Blue Hearts Friday, October 22 Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Music starts at 7:30 p.m.

Little Theatre 1 l 240 East Ave. Tickets: $20/advance, $25 at the door Rochester’s legendary blues guitarist and vocalist Joe Beard joins Hanna PK and the Blue Hearts to kick off a new season of The Little Concert Series, which features a diverse set of musical shows presented by Different Radio – WRUR-FM 88.5 in Rochester and WITH-FM 90.1 in Ithaca. Joe and Hanna PK and the Blue Hearts will perform some of their favorite blues tunes. Tickets can be purchase at TheLittle.org. Please note: You must provide proof of vaccination at the door. Photo credit: Aaron Winters The Little Concert Series is made possible with support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), along with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Sundays at 9:30 p.m. on WRUR-FM 88.5 Every week, Alt. Latino introduces you to new alternative Latin music, including diverse genres such as cumbia, Mexican garage rock, Panamanian rap, heavy metal mariachi and many more boundaryblurring sounds from around the world. In addition to music, the series features interviews and insightful conversation about Latin events and culture. Host Felix Contreras’ discussion of music and culture reflects his experiences as a Latino immigrant and is informed by his long career covering Latin music and culture for NPR, NBC and Univision. Photo credit: Jacques Coughlin 2005

RETURNS! Saturday Night Rewind, The Little’s popular genre series with Fright-Rags, returns for the first time since February 2020.

THE SPOOKY SLATE:

Fall Films at The Little Long-delayed indie films, Oscar contenders, and promising popcorn flicks enter the Little Theatre District in October. Here’s a look at October films to keep on your radar (release dates are subject to change). Showtimes and tickets are available at thelittle.org.

Oct. 8: I’m Your Man A German A.I. rom-com.

Oct. 15: Bergman Island Charming rom-drama about a pair of filmmakers who retreat to an island where Ingmar Bergman filmed his most celebrated movies.

October 16: Night of the Living Dead October 23: A Nightmare on Elm Street October 30: Halloween

Oct. 17: The Little’s birthday!

Not a movie, but a great day to celebrate film at The Little. The historic art house theater and Rochester landmark turns 92 on this day.

Oct. 22: The French Dispatch (pictured) Wes Anderson’s latest film brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional Twentieth Century French city. Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson star.

Oct. 22: Dune (pictured) Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) takes on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic.

Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac star.

Oct. 29: Last Night in Soho

SPONTANEOUS A charming and funny film about teens who explode.

Not a metaphor, they actually explode. But through the gore, romance blossoms in this surprisingly sweet picture that was one of 2020’s hidden gems.

Additional October releases:

The Little’s “The Lost Year: The Movies We Missed in 2020” series showcases the hits, hidden treasures, and award winners of 2020 in the way they were meant to be watched — in a movie theater (and paired with all the Little Popcorn you can carry).

thelittle . org 34 CITY OCTOBER 2021

An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. However, the glamour is not all it appears to be, and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker in Edgar Wright’s highly anticipated horror picture. Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie star.

Mass: Two couples meet for a painful and raw conversation in the aftermath of a violent tragedy.

Titane: A horror film and 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Julie Ducournau (Raw) that Variety calls “a daringly queer and undoubtedly controversial ride.”

Lamb: Horror strikes as a couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn.

The Last Duel: Based on a true story of trial by combat in Medieval France.

Directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Judie Comer (Killing Eve), Adam Driver (Paterson), and Matt Damon (EuroTrip).

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR

[ Opening ]

Flower City Arts Center, 713 Monroe Ave. Betsy Foster: Patterned Combinations. Oct. 1-28. flowercityarts.org.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On. Ongoing.

Hart Gallery 27, 27 Market St. Brockport. Brockport Artists’ Guild.

Oct. 1-30. Reception Oct 8, 6-9pm. bagsite.org.

INeRT PReSS, 1115 East Main St. Whittier’s Poems. Oct. 1-Dec. 31. inertpress.com.

International Art Acquisitions, 3300 Monroe Ave. Marcella Gillenwater: Crystalline. Oct. 1-31. 264-1440.

RIT City Art Space, 280 East Main St. Where Were We. Oct. 1-24. cityartspace.rit.edu.

Rochester Contemporary Art Center,

137 East Ave. New Growth by Rae Wiggins | Messages & Mediums. Oct. 1-Nov. 13. rochestercontemporary.org.

The Village Gallery, 3119 Main St. Caledonia. Heart-Hooked Sisters: Stories in Wool. Oct. 1-29. 294-3009.

Tower Fine Arts Center, 180 Holley St. Brockport. Picture… Story… Purpose: Recent Work in Contemporary Illustration. Oct. 21-Nov. 21. 3952805.

[ Continuing ] Art Exhibits

Anthony Mascioli Gallery, Central Library, 115 South Ave. Art of the

Book & Paper. Through Dec. 1. roccitylibrary.org/artofthebook.

Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332. Kathleen Connor: Over The Water’s Edge. Through Oct. 17. 3980220.

Geisel Gallery, 2nd Floor Rotunda, Legacy Tower, One Bausch & Lomb Place. Bruce Zaretsky: Beautiful Extinction, Stolen Lands. Through Oct. 30. thegeiselgallery.com.

Genesee County Park & Forest Interpretive Center, 11095 Bethany

Center Rd. The All-Weather Gang Paints the Park. Through Oct. 27. facebook.com/TheAllWeatherGang.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. Bea Nettles: Harvest of Memory (to Oct 10) | Global Groove (to Nov 7) | To Survive on This Shore: Photographs & Interviews with Transgender & Gender Nonconforming Older Adults (to Jan 2) | One Hundred Years Ago: George Eastman in 1921 (to Jan 2). Ongoing. $7-$18.

Go Art!, 201 E Main St. Batavia. goart. org. David Burke: Human Nature.

Through Oct. 29. goart.org.

Legacy at Willow Pond, 40 Willow Pond Way. Penfield Art Association Fall Show. Through Oct. 29. penfieldartassociation.com.

Main Street Arts, 20 W Main St. Clifton Springs. Joy Adams: A Long Day’s Journey. Through Oct. 29. mainstreetartscs.org.

Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900. Rochester-Finger Lakes (to Oct 17) | “To Help People See”: The Art of G Peter Jemison (to Nov 14) | A Sense of Place: Prints from the Collection of David Z Friedberg (to Dec 5) | Tony Cokes: Market of the Senses (to Jan 9) | Young Salut (to Aug 2022). Ongoing.

Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery, 71 S Main St. Canandaigua. Embracing the Warmth of Fall. Through Oct. 30. prrgallery. com.

Pittsford Fine Art, 4 N Main St. Pittsford. Paint Pittsford. Through Oct. 31. pittsfordfineart.com.

Tower Fine Arts Center, 180 Holley St. Brockport. Department of Art Alumni Exhibition. Through Oct. 10. 3952805.

Visual Studies Workshop, 31 Prince St. vsw.org. Project Space Artist Residency. Through Sep. 4, 2022. Oct 6-Nov 7: Rebecca Aloisio, Kelly Sears.

Film

Dryden Theatre, 900 East Ave. 2021

Rochester Labor Film Series. Through Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m. eastman.org/labor-filmseries-0.

Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. The Lost Year: The Movies We Missed in 2020.

Fri., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. and Thu., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. “MLK/FBI.”. thelittle.org.

Visual Studies Workshop, 31 Prince St. vsw.org. The VSW Salon Series.

Second Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. and Fourth Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Oct 14: Rochester Visual Artists Read Braiding Sweetgrass; Oct 28: Early Video from Rochester’s Portable Channel & the Palestine Film Unit. $10.

Readings & Spoken Word

David Sedaris. Tue., Oct. 5, 7 p.m.

Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. $32+. kodakcenter.com/events.

Listen to Your Mother. Sat., Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 N Plymouth Ave. $10-$25. rocthemic.org.

Visiting Authors Series. Ongoing, 7:30 p.m. Virtual Writers & Books, wab. org Oct 14: Kelli Jo Ford; Oct 26: Toni Jensen.

OCTavern Festival. Oct. 8-9. StoneTolan House Historic Site, 2370 East Ave. landmarksociety.org/octavern.

Open House & Apple Fest. Oct. 9-10, 12-5 p.m. Rochester Folk Art Guild, 1445 Upper Hill Rd rfag.org.

The Haunting of Hill House. Oct. 29Nov. 13. Penfield Community Center, 1985 Baird Rd. $14. penfieldplayers. org.

The Hero. Sun., Oct. 24, 2 p.m. Bristol Valley Theater, 151 South Main St $5$15. bvtnaples.org.

Comedy

Mansion Mysteries: The Great Caper. Fridays, Saturdays, 7 p.m.

Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats.

Tue., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. $49.50+. kodakcenter.com/events.

Gina Brillon. Thu., Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 22-23, 7 & 9 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $10-$15.

426-6339.

Harland Williams. Oct. 8-9, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $30/$32. 426-6339.

Mark Normand. Thu., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 15-16, 7 & 9 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $25. 426-6339.

Pete Correale. Thu., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 29-30, 7 & 9 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $12-$20. 426-6339.

Whose Live Anyway?. Fri., Oct. 29, 8 p.m. Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 N Plymouth Ave. $45+.

Dance Events

Campfire Stories. Oct. 21-23, 7 p.m.

Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332 Incandescent Dance Company 398-0220.

DANCE/Hartwell. Oct. 28-30, 7:30 p.m. Hartwell Dance Theatre, Hartwell Hall,, Kenyon St Brockport $9/$17.

395-2787.

Terrifically Theatrical. Fri., Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Sat., Oct. 9, 8 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 10, 2 p.m. Theater at Innovation Square, 131 Chestnut St. $19+. rochestercityballet.org Oct. 15-16, 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 17, 2 p.m.

Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, 20 Fort Hill Ave . Canandaigua $25-$45. rochestercityballet.org.

Theater

The Bindlestiff Cirkus. Thu., Oct. 7,

and Sun., Oct. 17, 4 p.m Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, 151 Charlotte St Canandaigua $25/$30. sonnenberg. org.

Much Ado About Nothing. Fridays, 8 p.m., Saturdays, 2 & 8 p.m., Sun., Oct. 10, 2 p.m. and Thu., Oct. 14, 7 p.m MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave Rochester Community Players muccc.org.

Mystery Radio Theater. Oct. 8-9, 7 p.m. Bristol Valley Theater, 151 South Main St $10-$20. bvtnaples.org.

Pretty Fire. Oct. 21-Nov. 7. Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E. Main St 454-1260.

RENT. Fridays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, 2 p.m OFC Creations Theater Center, 3450 Winton Pl $35+. ofccreations.com.

Searching for Tevye: A Musical Journey from Brighton to Broadway.

Thu., Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Sat., Oct. 9, 2 & 8 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 10, 2 p.m. JCC Hart Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. $30/$35. 461-2000.

Silent Sky. Oct. 28-Nov. 14.

Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E. Main St 454-1260.

Taking Shakespeare. Oct. 2830, 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 31, 2 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave Hummingbird Theater Co $15. muccc. org.

Truth About Old School. Sun., Oct. 10, 5 p.m. Photo City Music Hall, 543 Atlantic Ave $25. 451-0047.

Vietgone. Tuesdays-Sundays Geva Theatre, 75 Woodbury Blvd Wilson stage. through Oct 24 $25-$64. gevatheatre.org.

Water by the Spoonful. Oct. 8-9, 7:30 p.m., Sun., Oct. 10, 2 p.m. and Oct. 21-23, 7:30 p.m. Tower Fine Arts Center, 180 Holley St Brockport $9$17. 395-2787.

7:30 p.m. Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, 20 Fort Hill Ave . Canandaigua $25/$35. fhpac.org.

Art Events

2021 Letchworth Arts & Crafts Show & Sale. Oct. 9-10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and

Mon., Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Perry Village Park, Lake St Perry artswyco. org.

67th Rochester-Finger Lakes Artist Talk . Thu., Oct. 7, 6 p.m. Memorial Art

Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900 $20.

DeTOUR: All Things Dead. Thu., Oct. 21, 6 p.m. Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900 $20.

Handcrafted Hungerford. Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Hungerford, 1115 E Main St. hungerfordevents.com.

roccitynews.com CITY 35

ARTS

REVEL IN THE DETAILS

Artist Bradd Young, who goes by “Salut,” in his Hungerford studio (above) and painting a mural at the Memorial Art Gallery (next page). Young’s work is playful with surreal undercurrents. PHOTO BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

THE SURREAL WORK OF ‘SALUT’ Bradd Young makes the leap to full-time artist.

BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

A

fter graduating from art school and spending five years honing his artistic style while paying the bills as a restaurant host, Bradd Young has reached a milestone that many artists never hit: he’s making a living making art.

“I was kind of forced into it,” he says, jokingly. “People have just been buying more art during the pandemic.”

Young, 27, makes paintings, sculptures, and murals as “Salut,” a name taken from the French greeting 36 CITY OCTOBER 2021

@RSRAFFERTY

BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

and intended to convey what he calls his “approachable and light” style.

His work is whimsical, surreal, lighthearted, and sometimes strange.

The world of his creation is a cottoncandy dream, where amorphous characters blend with indefinite landscapes of pastel hues and bold colors. Many of his scenes project an innocent hopefulness.

“It’s not how the real world is,” Young explains, “but it’s how I want my world to be.”

Sales of his work suggest Young is not alone in his idealism.

His work has found a collector base, and in the past year, he has been commissioned to paint murals in Rochester and Buffalo. Getting laid off from his restaurant job during the depths of the pandemic gave him what he says was a “cosmic push” onto the path he’s now traveling.

One of Young’s collectors is Rome Celli, a realtor, avid supporter of local arts, and founder of the Rochester Art Collectors group. Celli says he came to know Young’s work at solo and group shows in recent years, and now has several pieces in

his collection.

“His work has an edge and it draws your attention because it’s colorful, and the figures are commonly playful, although not always,” Celli says. “Sometimes it can be rather menacing, but not in a scary way.”

A recent work features a figure in the foreground running through an idyllic, hilly terrain. Looming in the background is a blurry haze of what could either be autumn foliage or a wildfire with smoke and flame reaching into the blue sky. The work

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MEMORIAL ART GALLERY

makes its viewer feel like a bystander in an alien land and keeps them in place to figure out what’s happening.

Scenes like that are what draw Celli to Salut.

“I like work that causes me to stop and think a little bit more,” Celli says. “And I like that I’m drawn in and then I’m forced to consider more deeply what’s going on in the image itself.”

In August, Young completed “Dawgs,” a mural at the Memorial Art Gallery’s Hurlbut Gallery, a stretch of hallway that for the past few years has hosted a rotating series of temporary murals. He describes the endeavor as the biggest and most daunting of his career.

At first glance, “Dawgs” looks like an abstract of different colorful shapes. But within seconds, cartoonlike figures and faces appear in the shapes. Here, a couple of giant heads are poised to kiss. Over there, a crush of identical figures tumble atop each

“It's not how the real world is, but its how I want my world to be.”

BRADD YOUNG, AKA "SALUT"

other, leaving one to imagine the cacophony emanating from the pile.

Also installed are painted wooden shapes that Young cut out with a jigsaw. That tool is relatively new, and getting a lot of use this summer as he prepares for a solo show at Buffalo’s The Box Gallery this November that showcases paintings on wood cutouts, as well as digital paintings.

Young is, in many ways, a selftaught artist. A native of Rochester, he attended school in Brighton, where he developed a self-proclaimed “irrational fascination with French culture” as a high school student.

From there, he earned a degree in art at Hampton University in Virginia.

“It wasn’t an art school, but I was in the art program,” he says.

“I would say it was a lot of selfteaching, and just learning what I didn’t want to do.”

Young works from a studio in the Hungerford building whose doors are painted a pastel pink. The interior is austere in the way of comfort, furnished with a beat-up, old couch and a box fan to move the stale air.

But the space brims with creativity. Finished paintings line the walls, leaning on one another. There are stacks of jigsawed and painted wood, clusters of spray paint cans, and a drawing tablet on which he sketches and does color studies.

Some of Young’s work in his studio has subtle art history references.

A replica of the ancient and armless Venus di Milo statue has been painted salmon pink with

blonde hair. Her skirt looks like a Salut landscape in textile, and her face is painted like one of Young’s characters, overlapping her sculpted, stoic expression to a trippy effect.

One large painting in progress alludes to Henri Matisse’s 1910 painting “Dance,” in which five nude figures hold hands and dance in a circle on a hill. In Young’s world, that hill is a giant green face with the Pinocchio-esque nose, egg white eyes, and marble teeth.

“Whatever I do to a piece compositionally,” Young says, “I want to make it look good if it was on a T-shirt.”

roccitynews.com CITY 37

ARTS

IN THE PAINT

The basketball court at Marktetview Lodge was the first to be made over by Peculiar Asphalt, a program that brings young artists together to reimagine city basketball courts.

PHOTO BY NATE MILLER

HOLDING COURT Peculiar Asphalt brings color to the city, basketball court by basketball court.

BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

O

@RSRAFFERTY

n a sunny September afternoon, six teenagers spread out on the basketball court at the Roxie Ann Sinkler Recreation Center on the west side of the city. But they weren’t playing three-on-three. They were giving the well-worn asphalt a makeover.

They sprawled on the ground with paint brushes or stooped over long-handled paint rollers, applying vibrant shades of teal, fuschia, rose, orange, white, and gray to triangular and diamond shapes outlined on the pavement. The painters worked mostly in quiet intensity, punctuated by the buzz of cicadas and shrieks of children in a nearby splash park.

38 CITY OCTOBER 2021

BECCA@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

It was the last day of painting the third and final basketball court for the year’s Peculiar Asphalt project, a city-run Summer of Opportunities Program (SOOP) that for the past three years has brought groups of young Rochester residents, ages 16 to 20, together to design and paint murals on city basketball courts.

The murals range in style from Art Deco or Art Nouveau-esque to abstractions of landscapes or simply bright colors.

On this day, the painters were putting the finishing touches on an abstraction of mountain peaks designed by Paris Cockrell, an 18-year-old School of the Arts

graduate who was in her second year in the program.

“I’m proud of what I’m doing very much because I often feel like there’s not enough art in the city, just, there’s not enough color,” Cockrell said.

Like the others, Cockrell got involved with Peculiar Asphalt through another city mural program, Roc Paint Division, which has employed both local professional artists and youth to install murals around the city.

City Public Arts Coordinator Brittany Williams leads the Roc Paint Division program along with muralists Justin Suarez and Sarah Rutherford. She cast herself as

merely the facilitator for Peculiar Asphalt, with young people being the artists behind the basketball court murals.

Williams became aware a few years ago of a trend taking hold in the United States and Europe

Artist Brittany Williams, a former basketball player, created Peculiar Asphalt with the City of Rochester to beautify city basketball courts.

PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

of outdoor basketball courts being used as the canvas for murals.

It appeared to have begun in Memphis, she recalled, where the fixing of nets and repainting faded lines evolved into a full-blown mural “And that’s what just kind of pushed me to go, ‘Okay, I have some experience with doing murals. I have some experience with working with kids. Let’s put it all together and put it here in Rochester,’” Williams said.

She pitched the idea to city officials. But the concept was foreign. Some had questions about whether the colors would interfere with the playing of the game of basketball. As a former basketball player, Williams assured them that wet pavement and glass and debris on the court were far more distracting than the colors underfoot.

They gave her the go-ahead for a full-court press.

On each of the courts her crew has transformed, the boundary lines are clearly defined. There is the free throw line, the three-point line, the center circle, the halfcourt line, and so on. The rest is an abstraction that becomes a pleasant blur of color to players moving quickly.

‘DIFFERENT PAVEMENT’ The name of the project came from Williams trying to think of snappy words for “different” and “pavement” that sounded cool together. A thesaurus helped her come up with “Peculiar Asphalt.”

The design process varies.

Sometimes each member of the team creates a design on a template of a court using markers or colored pencils, then they work together to take elements of each to incorporate into a final design.

Other times, one member takes the lead on designing, with input from the others on the color palette.

Marcus Austin, 17, a senior at Pittsford-Mendon High School, designed pages for coloring books that were mass-produced and distributed to area libraries before being invited to join Peculiar Asphalt this summer.

He recalled being excited about working with other artists, but also uneasy about collaborating.

“Initially, I thought it’d be not necessarily frustrating, but not as easy just because there are different opinions,” he said. “But thank God, there’s no clashing. It’s actually, I think, better for me working with a group because I can bounce ideas off others very quickly.”

He said the work has been rewarding.

“I like hearing from either adults or even little children, which surprisingly have been most of the compliments we’ve gotten,” Austin said. “A lot of little kids saying thank you and stuff like that, so it’s nice.”

Williams assembled the first Peculiar Asphalt team out of the Roc Paint Division, whose crew had experience making murals. But painting skills were not the only prerequisite.

The program is fun, but it is, after all, work. Participants are compensated $10 per hour by the city, and expected to work 20 hours per week during the season.

“Of course I want some workers

Peculiar Asphalt has remade nine city basketball courts since 2019.

who have the skill to illustrate a design,” Williams said. “It’s important to get the ones who are good at detail and being patient.

Basically, it’s just work ethic.”

The participants proved their work ethic that first season, in the summer of 2019. The project was funded by a grant meant to cover materials and compensate the participants for enough hours to paint two courts.

But the teams worked so efficiently that they had time to do another court that first year, and did three courts the second year as well.

They also spent time custompainting basketballs to be given to neighborhood kids who Williams said would hang around courts where older kids were playing, waiting for a chance to borrow their ball.

By the start of the 2021 season, the Peculiar Asphalt team had remade courts at the Marketview Lodge Summer Recreation Site, Takoma Park Recreation Center, the Frederick Douglass Recreation Center, the Carter Street Recreation Center, the Bronson Avenue Playground, and Enrico Fermi School No. 17.

Prior to painting the court at the

PHOTO NATE MILLER

Roxie Ann Sinkler Recreation Center in September, the crew had left its mark on the Tyshaun Cauldwell Recreation Center for Hope and the David F. Gantt Recreation Center earlier in the summer.

Wrapping the year with the Sinkler Recreation Center is close to Williams’ heart. She’s an avid basketball player and a past coach at St. John Fisher College. She recently bought a house around the corner from the center, and her grandmother lives in the area.

Peculiar Asphalt has not just added a splash of color to basketball courts around the city. In some cases, its work has made the courts functional again.

For example, as Peculiar Asphalt members recall, the court at the Marketview Lodge on First Street was missing its lines, the hoop rims were bent, and the nets were in disrepair before painting began.

Broken glass littered the pavement.

After the group gave it the mural treatment, area residents began using the court. Now, by 3 p.m. most days, there is a group of people playing basketball.

“When they saw that someone’s coming into their neighborhood court and fixing it up,” Williams said, “they’re like, ‘Wow, they’re doing this for us,’ where you know, that doesn’t happen often.”

roccitynews.com CITY 39

LIFE

WHAT ALES ME

HISTORY’S ‘OLDEST DRINK’ MAKES A COMEBACK Rochester’s first meadery finds a home at the Hungerford.

BY GINO FANELLI

@GINOFANELLI

GFANELLI@ROCHESTER-CITYNEWS.COM

Bill Bly, co-owner of Seed and Stone Cidery, launched Shertbriar Meadery in September. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON 40 CITY OCTOBER 2021

B

ill Bly, an owner of Seed and Stone Cidery in the Hungerford Building, balks at trends and his beverages show it.

At a time when breweries were popping up around Rochester, Bly opened an urban cidery, the first in Monroe County.

Not only that, he eschewed the popular saccharine, fizzy apple juices of the Finger Lakes in favor of a bone-dry, nuanced, and more “serious” cider.

And when he got his federal license to produce wine, he turned to honey instead of grapes, and became the first producer of mead in the county.

Bly opened Shertbriar Meadery in September in the same location as his cidery.

“I don’t really see mead around at all, and we want to try to introduce it to people, like, ‘Hey, here’s mead, it might be something you’ve never had before, give it a shot,’” Bly said.

He spoke between sips of his new product on a recent warm afternoon and wore a shirt proclaiming, “Mead: It’s not Just for Vikings anymore.”

Mead, a boozy drink that gets most of its fermentable sugar from honey, is the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage.

How old? Historians figure that around the time farmers in what is now China fermented rice, honey, and wild grapes in clay pots to make the first batch of mead, the Pyramids of Giza were another 4,000 years away.

“It was really common for thousands of years before the sugar trade came about,” said Bly Travers, Bly’s daughter and coowner of Seed and Stone and Shertbriar.

“Honey wasn’t really needed anymore for sweetening, and that’s when (mead) started having its big decline.”

But fast forward 9,000 years and mead endures, albeit as a bit of a niche product.

That’s in part by demand and in part by circumstance. Mead is more expensive to make than grape wine, beer, or cider.

Bryan Degraw, owner of 810 Meadworks in Medina, said the cost of making a gallon of mead is about the same as five gallons of a typical beer. Originally a beer homebrewer, Degraw said the cost makes for a meticulous brewing process.

“If you’re brewing a five-gallon batch of mead, you don’t want to end up having to dump it down the drain,” Degraw said. “I spent more time caring for each mead, and

Bly Travers, co-owner of Seed and Stone Cidery and Shertbriar Meadery, said there’s thousands of yearsof history in a glass of mead. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

in the end, it made me a much better mead maker.”

The cost coupled with the relative obscurity of the drink makes it a challenge, and also a bit precarious.

Shertbriar is entering the market with two varieties, a Finnish-style Sima and a ginger root-infused offering dubbed Balder’s Wild Ginger.

The Sima is a lesson in contradiction, both mild and palatable yet brimming with intense notes of citrus and vibrant lemon zest. The Balder’s showcases an acidic, nearly pickled ginger flavor with a bright riesling-esque finish brought by a strong showing of white wine yeast.

The meadery plans to roll out nine varieties over the next couple months, including a version made with maple sap instead of water called “Into the Woods,” and a cozy-sounding offering called “Tears of Odin,” made with apples, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla.

While you’re unlikely to be taking a mead tour in the Finger Lakes anytime soon, there are a smattering of mead producers in the region.

Paul Curcillo, a surgical oncologist in Philadelphia and co-owner of Earle Estates Meadery in Penn Yan, is one of them.

“We saw mead as a thing that can grow, because it offers people something a little bit different from beer and a little bit different from wine,” Curcillo said.

For Degraw, the draw of mead is its versatility. You can do just about anything with it, and that shows in his roster of different honey wines at 810 Meadworks.

The meadery offers everything from nofrills meads to bourbon barrel behemoths spiked with a slate of ingredients that sound like a grocery list.

“It can be anything,” Degraw said.

“There’s not like there’s a box to fit it in.”

DRINK THIS NOW Sima from Shertbriar Meadery 1115 East Main St., Rochester A delicate ensemble of wild flower notes, punctuated by shimmering glints of lemon zest and pronounced citrus that round out this grown-up lemonade.

Shertbriar Meadery plans to offer nine meads of varying adjuncts and aging techniques. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

Balder’s Wild Ginger from Shertbriar Meadery

Tuco-Style Freakout rom B. Nektar Meadery

P.O.D. from 810 Meadworks

1115 East Main St., Rochester

1511 Jarvis St., Ferndale, Mich.

Slightly tart, slightly acidic, and slightly herbal, this easy-drinking offering makes ginger the star of the show, culminating in a love child of dry white wine and pickled ginger. A match made in heaven for a seafood meal.

I’m currently rewatching “Breaking Bad” and, man, Raymond Cruz was just the best as the meth-addled maniac drug lord Tuco Salamanca. This mead is an off-the-wall tribute to an off-the-wall performance, and, despite not being local, is also the first mead I ever drank.

Agave nectar provides a rich sweetness which is countered by bright notes of lime and zest.

I haven’t tasted this mead yet, but it’s on my list because aging mead with black currants, black tea, wildflower honey, and rose petals in a barrel that previously held a raspberry stout is madness that I have to have.

113 West Center St., Medina, N.Y.

roccitynews.com roccitynews.org CITY 41

THE BEST OF ROCHESTER What makes it home makes it out of this world

BY DAVID ANDREATTA

This year’s Best of Rochester readers’ poll was dubbed “The Reentry Edition” because when we opened the balloting it felt like our region was inching closer to living its best life again — or at least the best life it could amid a pandemic with a variant of the virus on the prowl.

Live music and theater came back this summer. So did baseball and movies. People were dining with friends again, indoors and outdoors. There were weddings and baby showers. There was suddenly something to do every day and night of the week.

By the time the poll launched in August, many of us had become reacquainted with our favorite people, places, and things — and met some new ones.

2 4

OCTOBER 2021

And it showed.

This year, some 10,349 discerning CITY readers cast 426,656 votes to determine the Best of Rochester winners across 110 categories. First, they submitted their nominations in a primary voting round. Then, we narrowed it down to the top finalists in each category and invited readers to vote again.

Here, we present the top picks, from musicians to museums, and burgers to barbershops, bowling, and beyond. The people, places, and things here are what make Rochester home.

The Best of Rochester is our way of saluting each and every one of them.

BEST ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Best Actor

ESTHER WINTER Talk about stage presence. Winter is everywhere in Rochester theater and has graced stages around the country and abroad. The longtime actress has been instrumental in bringing new plays to life locally and sits on Geva Theatre Center’s new Artistic Council.

Mrs. Kasha Davis | Che Holloway | Justin Rielly

Best Artist

SHAWN DUNWOODY dunwoode.design Dunwoody’s art is as big and bold as his ideals. The city is his canvas.

John Magnus Champlin | Will Perkins | Sarah Rutherford

Best Band (Cover)

Best Drag Performer

ZAC BROWN TRIBUTE BAND zacbrowntributeband.com Whether ZBTB is playing a cramped pub, crowded concert hall, backyard BBQ, or a party in the park, this high-energy tribute to the chart-topping country music Zac Brown Band gets its crowds dancing and yelling, “Yee-haw!”

The Seven Wonders | The Skycoasters | Something Else

Best Band (Original)

TEAGAN & THE TWEEDS teaganandthetweeds.com Don’t let the collegiate-clad name fool you. This six-piece ensemble with a blues-country-folk vibe is anything but stodgy and conservative. Its portfolio houses an array of original songs and pays homage to the greats with a selection of crowd-pleasing covers.

Joywave | Danielle Ponder | Undeath

Best Arts Event

PARK AVENUE SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL Despite being postponed for two years and running courtesy of the pandemic, the Park Ave. Fest is top of mind for festival lovers for the more than 300 artists and 30 musical acts it brings to trendy Park Avenue every August. The festival is looking to resurface in 2022.

6X6 | Corn Hill Arts Festival | KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival | M&T Bank Clothesline Festival

MRS. KASHA DAVIS kashadavis.com

Best Art Gallery MEMORIAL ART GALLERY mag.rochester.edu

Visiting the Memorial Art Gallery means journeying through 5,000 years of art history that includes a healthy schedule of temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and tours. The museum’s permanent collection has been called “the best balanced in the state” outside New York City.

Artisan Works | Rochester Contemporary Art Center | UUU Art Collective

Best Comedian or Comedy Troupe

NUTS & BOLTS COMEDY IMPROV Billed as Rochester’s longest-running sketch-comedy troupe, Nuts & Bolts, founded in 1999 by two high school chums who were tired of making each other laugh, earns major LOLs for its pitch-perfect blend of satire and silliness.

Best Club DJ

Malcolm Whitfield | Refined Taste | Todd Youngman

Two-time Best of Rochester winner Michael Ruger, also known as DJ Mighty Mic, is a Rochester favorite in the DJ booth who brings down the house at his Culver Road nightclub ROAR.

GARTH FAGAN DANCE garthfagandance.org

DJ MIGHTY MIC

DJ Chreath | DJ Darkwave | DJ Kalifornia

She’s come a long way, baby, from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

The flamboyant and beloved drag queen alter ego of Ed Popil is at the top of her game right now with the launch of her new children’s TV show “Imagination Station with Mrs. Kasha Davis.”

DeeDee Dubois | Darienne Lake | Wednesday Westwood

Best Hip Hop Act

MOSES ROCKWELL mosesrockwell.bandcamp.com Moses Rockwell’s rapid-fire rhythmic rhymes run from his tongue like an inmate getting sprung. Hey, we tried, all right? But seriously, Rockwell’s sound is smooth, infectious, and real gone.

Ishmael | M Dot Coop | Noah Fense

Best Live Music Venue (Large) CMAC cmacevents.com

Whether on the lawn or under the hang, there isn’t a bad seat in the house at this Canandaigua performing arts center. Over the years, CMAC has drawn some of the biggest names in music and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Blue Cross Arena | Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre | Main Street Armory

Best Dance Company

Known the world over for his dazzling choreography, Garth Fagan has captivated and inspired audiences for more than 50 years.

Biodance | PUSH Physical Theatre | Rochester City Ballet

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BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 43

Best Live Music Venue (Small) BUG JAR bugjar.com

Anyone who is anyone in Rochester music has played this cramped counterculture mainstay of the arts scene on Monroe Avenue. The Bug Jar draws some of the best touring acts around and takes pride in giving shine to up-and-coming local talent.

Abilene Bar & Lounge | Anthology | Photo City Music Hall

Best Museum

STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY museumofplay.org Consistently ranked atop the list of Rochester’s tourist attractions, The Strong, as the museum wants to be known, is a wonderland for kids and kids-at-heart.

George Eastman Museum | Memorial Art Gallery | Rochester Museum and Science Center

Best Mural or Public Art

DANIEL PRUDE IN MLK PARK @airtheproject A collaborative of artists working through Project AIR created this mural, which depicts a black-and-white portrait of Daniel Prude against a backdrop of yellow and green silhouettes of people protesting, as what they called “a direct response to the city of Rochester’s involvement” in his death.

Cobbs Hill Water Towers | “I Am Speaking” | “Stories of Strength”

Best Solo Musician DANIELLE PONDER danielleponder.com

Rochester’s soul-singing wonder Danielle Ponder has had a hell of a run the last couple of years, breaking onto the national scene after catching National Public Radio’s attention as a standout in its 2020 Tiny Desk Contest. The rest of America wants her, but we get to call her our own.

Jake Wren | Teagan Ward | Lung Cycles

44 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Best Photographer

JIM MONTANUS montanusphotography.com Photography is in the blood of this local legend, who is perhaps best known for his images of area landscapes, including hauntingly beautiful photos of Lake Ontario.

Jim Montanus is the son of legendary Kodak photographer Neil Montanus.

Aaron Winters | Quajay Donnell | Teale Brown

Best Published Author BETHANY SNYDER bethanysnyder.com

This multi-Best of winner has a long list of published short stories, many of which are set in her hometown of Penn Yan. Looking to learn from one of the best? Snyder runs a creative writing group called Keuka Writes.

Dave Chisholm | Gary Craig | Frances Tepper

Best Published Poet RACHEL McKIBBENS rachelmckibbens.com

Rachel McKibbens is a real-deal poet. Her works have been featured in numerous journals, including The Los Angeles Review, World Literature Today, and The Rumpus, the latter of which wrote that she “awakens and haunts with selfless honesty.”

Albert Abonado | Andrew Conley | Charlie Cote | Jacob Rakovan

Best Theater Company

GEVA THEATRE CENTER gevatheatre.org Founded in 1972, Geva is Rochester’s flagship theater company and the most attended regional theater in New York. Look for changes on the horizon with the impending retirement of its longtime artistic director Mark Cuddy.

The Avenue Black Box Theatre | Blackfriars Theatre | Off Monroe Players | Rochester Community Players CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 45

BEST FOOD & DRINK Best Bakery

Best Fish Fry

SAVOIA savoiapastry.com

CAPTAIN JIM’S FISH MARKET You don’t have to wait until Friday for your fish fry and slaw at Captain Jim’s, a barebones and predominantly takeout spot in North Winton Village that keeps the fryer going all week long.

Family owned and operated since 1929, this landmark Clifford Avenue bakery is the place to go when visions of biscotti, cannoli, pastries, and spumoni dance in your head. Its Easter bread is a hot item.

Charlie Riedel’s Restaurant | The Old Toad | Tap & Mallet

Flour City Break Company | Get Caked! | Leo’s Bakery and Deli | Scratch Bakeshop

Best Food Truck

Best Barbecue

LE PETIT POUTINE lepetitpoutine.com

DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE dinosaurbarbque.com

Le Petit Poutine has been churning out varieties of the Canadian cuisine of fries and cheese curds since 2011 and has plans to open a shop on Elton Street this year.

You don’t need directions to get to this joint. Just follow your nose.

Bubby’s | Good Smoke | Sticky Lips

Marty’s Meats | Neno’s Gourmet Mexican Street Food | Stingray Sushifusion

Best Breakfast

Best Global Foods Market

ORIGINAL STEVE’S DINER originalstevesdiner.com

RUBINO’S ITALIAN FOODS Rubinos.net

Now with three locations around the Rochester area, Original Steve’s is fast becoming THE place for breakfast and lunch, enticing diners with 36 varieties of giant pancakes and 18 styles of eggs Benedict.

Best Chinese Restaurant

Best Burger

Han touts a tagline of “No Fusion, No Gimmicks,” and it delivers. The best part? The noodles. The noodles.

The noodles.

Highland Park Diner | Jines | Mad Hatter

GOOD LUCK restaurantgoodluck.com Good Luck’s namesake burger — a pound of houseground, grass-fed local beef topped with Cuba cheddar on a brioche bun — is worth every penny of its $28 price tag. Go on an empty stomach.

Gate House | Playhouse/Swillburger | Charlie Riedel’s Restaurant

Best Calzone

STROMBOLI’S stromboliexpress.com A favorite lunch spot that’s been serving your choice of pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, steak, or ham stuffed into a 12- or 16-inch pocket dripping with ricotta and mozzarella cheese in Rochester’s East End for 26 years.

Mark’s Pizzeria | New Ethic Pizzeria Café | Salvatores

Best Candy Shop STEVER’S steverscandy.com

Going to Stever’s has been a happy family tradition since Douglas and Hilda Stever opened their first shop at the corner of Benton and South Goodman streets in 1946.

For the last 51 years, the operation has been on Park Avenue, where the next generation of Stevers, Kevin and Leslie, make fresh confections every day.

Andy’s | Hedonist Artisan Chocolates | Laughing Gull Chocolates

46 CITY OCTOBER 2021

HAN NOODLE BAR hannoodlebar.com

Chen Garden | Flavors of Asia | Hung Wah | Szechuan Opera

Best Deli Sandwich DiBELLA’S SUBS dibellas.com

This hometown hero of heroes now operates more than 40 locations in five states, but Rochester has a soft spot for its soft sub buns. The Dagwood — turkey, ham, and corned beef — is a local favorite.

Calabrasella’s | Rubino’s | Wegmans

Best Doughnuts

RIDGE DONUT CAFE With prime placement on Portland Avenue and a purple donut mascot that somehow works, Ridge Donut Cafe is a must-stop for locals and tourists alike for a consistent selection of 33 varieties of super-soft doughnuts.

Boxcar | Donuts Delite | Misfit Treats & Eats

Best Farmer’s Market

ROCHESTER PUBLIC MARKET cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket Serving the greater Rochester community since 1905 from its digs on North Union Street, the Rochester Public Market with its 300 vendors is a runaway favorite in this category.

Brighton Farmer’s Market | Fairport Farmer’s Market | West Side Farmer’s Market

Rubino’s on Ridge Road in Irondequoit is known around Rochester as one of the best places to buy authentic Italian ingredients and prepared foods. Its deli counter is loaded and its cheese collection is stacked.

Asia Food Market | Asia Market Groceries | International Food Market & Café

Best Ice Cream

PITTSFORD FARMS DAIRY pittsfordfarmsdairy.com On North Main Street off the Erie Canal in Pittsford, this historic dairy makes its classic flavors and quirkier ones from scratch.

Abbott’s Frozen Custard | Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream & Chocolates | LuGia’s Ice Cream

Best Italian Restaurant

RESTAURANT FIORELLA restaurantfiorella.com Located in the Rochester Public Market, Restaurant Fiorella serves up casual farm-to-table Italian fare with a focus on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

Guido’s Pasta Villa | Ristorante Lucano | Rocco

Best Late-night Eats DOGTOWN dogtownhots.com

When it’s late and you’re hungry, 18 varieties of hot dog toppings on Zweigle wieners nestled in French bread await.

Jay’s Diner | Mark’s Texas Hots | Swan Dive

Best Farmer’s Market

ROCHESTER PUBLIC MARKET

Best New Restaurant PIZZA WIZARD pizzawizard.pizza

Limited hours of operation and delicious pan-cooked pizza with thick corner slices have kept demand up at this new joint on South Clinton Avenue.

Crumpets | F.L.X. Wienery | Velvet Belly

Best Mexican Restaurant OLD PUEBLO GRILL oldpueblogrillroc.com

Among the best north-of-the-border Mexican fare anywhere. Known for its huevos rancheros.

Monte Alban Mexican Grill | Neno’s Gourmet Mexican Street Food | Salena’s Mexican Restaurant

Best Outdoor Dining Genesee Brew House geneseebeer.com/brewhouse

Part brewery, part museum. The outside dining area offers diners and drinkers a gorgeous view of High Falls.

K2 Brothers Brewing | Native Eatery & Bar | The Owl House | Richardson’s Canal House

Best Pizza

PONTILLO’S pontillospizza.com Originally an import from Batavia, this regional chain is all Rochester, with over 20 locations serving up pizza people love.

New Ethic Pizzeria & Café | The Pizza Stop | Pizza Wizard

Best “Plate”

DOGTOWN dogtownhots.com This is the answer to customers who want Dogtown’s 18 varieties of hot dog toppings and Zweigle wieners on something other than toasty French bread.

Charlie’s | Charlie Riedel’s | Nick Tahou Hots

Best Ribs

DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE dinosaurbarbque.com When you win Best BBQ, as Dinosaur did this year, taking the “Ribs” category usually follows.

56 Underground | Bubby’s | Good Smoke | Sticky Lips | J-Ribs

Best Sushi

PLUM HOUSE plumhouseny.com From the Rochester Roll to the Dragon Roll, this Japanese restaurant is known for its creative, expertly-rolled combinations.

Poke Sushi | Shema Sushi | Wegmans

Best Thai Restaurant THAI MII UP

This local Thai chain doesn’t have to rope anyone into sampling its chicken satay, seafood pho, and yum goong.

Khong Thai Cuisine | ThaiYada | The King and I CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 47

Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant THE RED FERN

If you still think that vegetarian food is twigs and berries, visit The Red Fern and wipe that thought from your head.

New Ethic Pizzeria & Cafe | The Owl House | Voula’s Greek Sweets

Best Wings

JEREMIAH’S TAVERN jeremiahstavern.com This local chain has had the market cornered on Best Wings in Rochester for years. From the standard Buffalo to the Catatonic and the Nawlins Blues, the options make Jeremiah’s wings soar.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que | New Ethic Pizzeria & Café | Windjammers

Best Bar to Drink Alone LUX LOUNGE lux666.com

Drinking solo? There’s plenty to keep you entertained at this South Wedge watering hole — a kickin’ juke box, an outdoor fire pit, and cool art.

Angry Goat | Cheshire | Skylark Lounge

Best Beer Selection (Bar or Restaurant) TAP & MALLET tapandmallet.com

Best bar for a beer, or two, or three. The rotating list of popular and rare sours, stouts, IPAs, and hard ciders from New York and beyond draw daily crowds.

Rochester Beer Park | Rohrbach Brewing Company | Three Heads Brewing | TRATA

Best Beer Selection (Store)

BEERS OF THE WORLD mybeersoftheworld.com Singapore? Spain? Sweden? Visit any country on the planet through this wholesaler and retailer of imported and domestic beers. Build your own six-pack with singe-bottle sales.

AJ’S Beer Warehouse | One Stop Brew Shop | Wegmans

Best Coffee

FINGER LAKES COFFEE ROASTERS fingerlakescoffee.com This spot’s passion for the perfect cup is on display in every blend, single origin, and flavored coffee. Three blends are perennial favorites: Canandaigua, Seneca, and Lake.

Fuego | Java’s | Ugly Duck

Best Cidery

SCHUTT’S APPLE MILL schuttsapplemill.com Schutt’s has been making its crystal clear and sweet apple cider the same way since Paul “Great Grandpa” Schutt opened the place in 1918. Want your cider hard? Try Great Grandpa’s Grog.

Blue Barn Cidery | Seed + Stone | OSB Ciderworks

48 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Best Cocktails

GOOD LUCK restaurantgoodluck.com

Good Luck is known for its inventive and flavorful cocktails as much as its food. Waiters know their drinks and bartenders have a knack for knowing what their customers want before they do.

Cheshire | Cure | The Revelry

Best Craft Brewery

THREE HEADS BREWING threeheadsbrewing.com Rotating seasonal craft brews, food trucks, a patio, and live music, Three Heads has it all.

Roc Brewing | Rohrbach Brewing Company | Swiftwater

Best Distillery

BLACK BUTTON DISTILLING blackbuttondistilling.com Founded in 2012, Black Button Distilling is the first grain-to-grass craft distillery to open in Rochester since the end of Prohibition and it uses only locally-sourced ingredients.

Apple Country Spirits | Finger Lakes Distilling | Hollerhorn Distilling | Iron Smoke Distilling

Best Karaoke ROAR roarroc.com

This Culver Road nightclub highlights wannabe rock stardom every Thursday at 8 p.m. after bingo.

Brewster Mobile Entertainment | Firehouse Saloon | Temple Bar and Grille

Best LGBTQ Bar ROAR roarroc.com

Born to fill a void after the closing of some prominent LGBTQ-oriented nightlife spaces in Rochester, ROAR’s focus is on creating a unique safe space for the community. Check in throughout the year for LGBTQ events.

140 Alex Bar and Grill | Avenue Pub | The Bachelor’s Forum CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 49

Best Pickup Bar LUX LOUNGE lux666.com

BEST RECREATION

The best place for drinking alone is, ironically, the best place to find love, too. Lots of personalities at Lux.

Radio Social | ROAR | Swan Dive

Best Smoothies/Juices JUST JUICE 4 LIFE just-juice-4-life.com

Just Juice makers cold-press organic produce into raw, delightfully tasty seasonal sips. Get your Kale Ales, Beet Its, and Green Loves here.

Body Fuel | Breathe Yoga | Refresh Café and Smoothie Bar

Best Sports Bar

JEREMIAH’S TAVERN jeremiahstavern.com What goes great with this local chain’s award-winning wings? Watching football, of course. And baseball, and hockey, and soccer, and basketball, and anything that involves athletes running, jumping, and throwing things that us mere mortals can’t do.

The Distillery | Old Stone Tavern | TC Hooligan’s

Best Trivia Night TAP & MALLET

Pop culture know-it-alls geek out at this Gregory Street establishment every Tuesday night at 7:30. Five categories, 25 questions, and resident quiz master Biggie in charge of the proceedings make for a fun night.

Old Toad | ROAR | Unter Biergarten

Best Winery

LIVING ROOTS WINE & CO. livingrootswine.com An urban winery in the Finger Lakes and a not-so-urban winery in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia run by the husband-and-wife team of Sebastian (an Aussie sixth-generation winemaker) and Colleen Hardy.

Casa Larga | Fox Run Vineyards | Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery

Best Wine Selection (Bar or Restaurant) LIVING ROOTS/ROC URBAN WINERY livingrootswine.com

Located in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts, this winery has a bar, patio, and books private parties.

Best Biking Trail

ERIE CANALWAY TRAIL Cycle a few miles or all 365. The Erie Canalway Trail between Albany and Buffalo is almost all off-road and suitable for all ages and abilities. Check out ptny.org and eriecanalway.org and for tips on planning your trip.

Genesee River Trail | Genesee Valley Greenway | Tryon Park

Best Bowling

RADIO SOCIAL radio-social.com With 34 lanes, a lounge area, indoor and outdoor games, an award-winning Middle Eastern restaurant, and topshelf booze, bowling at Radio Social is an experience.

Mark it an eight, Smokey.

Bowl-a-Roll | Dewey Games | L&M Lanes

Best Camp for Kids

CAMP STELLA MARIS campstellamaris.org Situated 30 miles south of Rochester on the shores of Lake Conesus, Camp Stella Maris has been a home away from home for young campers for 95 years.

Best Day Hike

LETCHWORTH STATE PARK parks.ny.gov/parks/letchworth They don’t call it the “Grand Canyon of the East” for nothing. Gorgeous gorges, stunning waterfalls, and 66 miles of hiking trails await. Guided walking tours are available.

Chimney Bluffs State Park | Durand-Eastman Park | Mendon Ponds Park

Best Family-Friendly Attraction THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY museumofplay.org

A highly-interactive experience devoted to the history of play and exploration. Kids get to be kids, and grown-ups can feel like a kid again.

Genesee Country Village and Museum | Seabreeze Amusement Park | Seneca Park Zoo

Best Fishing Hole

IF WE TOLD YOU, WE’D HAVE TO KILL YOU Check out the honorable mentions.

Apogee | Flight | Solera

Flower City Arts Center | Genesee Country Village and Museum | Girls Rock!

Best Wine Selection

Best Cross-county Skiing

Best Guided Tour

The largest county party with 2,500 acres of woodlands, ponds, wetlands, and plenty of flats and gentle hills for your winter workout. Snowshoeing is popular here, too.

There are guided tours galore at Rochester’s best known final resting place between May and October, with the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery offering theme tours every Saturday, twilight tours on Thursdays, and foundational tours on Sunday afternoons.

LISA’S LIQUOR BARN lisasliquorbarn.com Lisa Tobin Healey, a graduate of Brighton High School and the University of Rochester, recalls opening Lisa’s Liquor Barn in 1987 with the goal not being the biggest, but the best. CITY readers think she succeeded.

Century Liquor & Wines | Marketview Liquor | Pinnacle Liquor 50 CITY OCTOBER 2021

MENDON PONDS PARK monroecounty.gov/parks-mendonponds

Cummings Nature Center | Durand-Eastman Park | Harriet Hollister Spencer Recreation Area

Black Creek | Conesus Lake | Irondequoit Bay | Genesee River | Lake Ontario

MT. HOPE CEMETERY fomh.org/tours-events

George Eastman Museum | Memorial Art Gallery DeTOURS | Susan B. Anthony House | WALL\Therapy

Best Outdoor Ice Skating

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK cityofrochester.gov/skating Rochester is backyard rink country. But if you’re looking to strap on the blades and capture the magic of the city, there’s no place better than MLK Jr. Park. Good hot chocolate, too.

Best Outdoor Swimming CANANDAIGUA LAKE canandaiguanewyork.gov

Native peoples didn’t call the lake “The Chosen Spot” for no reason. Admission to the beach at Kershaw Park on the north end of the lake is $5 per adult and $2 per child ages 6-18 for non-residents. Seasonal passes are available.

Durand-Eastman Beach | Ontario Beach Park

Best Pick-up Basketball COBBS HILL PARK cityofrochester.gov/cobbshill

These courts draw some of the best street hoopsters in the city year-round, weather permitting. Casual cagers can find a place to fit in in the morning hours, but the afternoon and evening crowd are players who don’t play around.

Court at Atlantic and Merriman | Potter Park | YMCA

Best Place to Go Dancing ROAR roarroc.com

If you’re not singing karaoke or geeking out on trivia or trying your luck at bingo at ROAR, you’re shaking your thang to tunes spun by DJ Mighty Mic.

Lux Lounge | Tapas 177 | Vertex

Best Place to Take a First Date RADIO SOCIAL radio-social.com

If your first date doesn’t like 34 bowling lanes, a lounge area, indoor and outdoor games, an award-winning Middle Eastern restaurant, and top-shelf booze, then you need a new date.

Highland Park | The Little Theatre | Roc Brewing

Best Place to Play Pool SALINGER’S salingersroc.com

When it comes to places to play pool, Salinger’s on East Avenue is running the table. The competition is fierce but friendly, and the bar’s stock of 50 beers are as chill as its patio and free peanuts.

Dicky’s Corner Pub | Joey’s | Lux Lounge

Best Stargazing Spot COBBS HILL PARK cityofrochester.gov/cobbshill

When the hoops games end and the joggers have all gone to bed, the elevated hills of this city park are the perfect spot to take in the night sky.

Ellison Park | Highland Park | Mendon Ponds Park

Best Weekend Getaway THE FINGER LAKES visitfingerlakes.com

With 11 pristine lakes nestled between bucolic hillsides, waterfront hotels, wineries and breweries at every turn, and dining options that range from fine to low-key, there’s plenty to love about the region.

The Adirondacks | Ithaca | Skaneateles

CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 51

BEST GOODS & SERVICES Mo

nr oe

ser y r u N County’s Oldest

Located near Ellison Park 485 LANDING ROAD NORTH (585) 482-5372 Open 7 Days a Week

Best Bike Shop TOWPATH BIKE towpathbike.com

A full-service shop on the Erie Canal with a staff of cycling enthusiasts and a great selection.

What’s not to like? Walk in and roll out.

Full Moon Vista | RV&E Bike and Skate | Tom’s Pro Bike

Best Corner Store BODEGA bodegaonpark.com

Billing itself as a “neighborhood grocery, beer, take-out hot spot,” Bodega serves all-day breakfasts from a robust menu that’s not afraid to experiment.

999 Mart | Highland Market | Nathaniel’s Corner Store | R’s Market | Union Stop

Best Fitness Service

Large Selection of Hardy Trees & Shrubs

M/BODY mbodyrochester.com

This play-on-words gym embodies fitness, health, and wellness in an inclusive and energized environment. Patrons love its catalog of live and virtual fitness classes.

Compass Cycle + Flow | Positive Force Movement | Revive Fitness

Best Florist

KITTELBERGER FLORIST AND GIFTS kittelbergerflorist.com Operating out of the same location in Webster for more than 90 years, Kittelberger has kept Flower City looking and smelling pretty for generations.

Arena’s | Stacy K Floral | Wisteria Flowers and Gifts

Best Independent Bookseller LIFT BRIDGE BOOK SHOP liftbridgebooks.com

A throwback to the bookstores of yesteryear, Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport has two floors of new and used books, toys, games, gifts, and serenity.

Hippocampo | Small World Books | Yesterday’s Muse

Over 3 acres of fresh hardy nursery stock from the common to the hard to find.

Annuals • Perennials • Fertilizer Seed • Bulk Mulch Bagged Mulch • Stone Large Selection of Fine Pottery

Best Haircut

SWILLBARBER swillbarber.com One of the world’s oldest professions meets one of Rochester oldest neighborhoods at this appointment-only barber shop run by masters of shears Victor Burgos and Bly Travers, who specialize in traditional cuts and hot-towel, straight-razor shaves.

Barbetorium | Chi Wah Organica | HD Hair

Best Place to Buy Kitsch PARKLEIGH parkleigh.com

What began as a pharmacy at the corner of Park Avenue and Goodman Street in 1960 became the gift shop of today in 1986. Parkeligh has a lot of a little bit of everything.

Archimage | Little Button Craft | Record Archive

Best Tattoo Parlor

CloverNursery.com

LOVE HATE TATTOO lovehatetattoo.com Rooted in what its artists call “the fundamental tradition of tattoo history,” Love Hate has been producing tattoos that stand the test of time for 20 years.

Old Friends Tattoo | Pyramid Arts Tattoo | White Tiger Tattoo 52 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Best Musical Instrument Store HOUSE OF GUITARS houseofguitars.com

Billed as the “Largest Guitar Store in the World,” House of Guitars has been a fixture on Titus Avenue in Irondequoit since 1972 and sold instruments to some of the biggest names in music, from Aerosmith to Metallica and Geddy Lee.

Atlas Music | Bernunzio’s Uptown Music | Sound Source

Best Pet-related Business BONES BAKERY bonesdogbakery.com

Where dogs and their owners go for freshly baked cakes, treats, and events. The handcrafted pupcakes are popular.

Anita’s Puppy Palace | Lollypop Farm | Park Ave. Pets

Best Record Store RECORD ARCHIVE recordarchive.com

This place has anything and everything for the serious record audiophile, toy collector, and novelty nerd, with a wine and beer bar to boot.

Bop Shop Records | House of Guitars | Needle Drop Records

Best Spa

THE SPA AT THE DEL MONTE delmontespa.com An upscale spa in Pittsford offering a full menu of treatments designed to soothe the mind, body, and soul, from massages and manicures to body scrubs.

Ape + Canary | Need Salon & Spa | Woodcliff Hotel and Spa

Best Secondhand/Thrift Store THE LUCKY FLEA MARKET @theluckyflea

A collaborative open-air marketplace in the Neighborhood of the Arts inspired by the secondhand clothing markets of the West Coast. Lucky Flea moves vintage duds, handmade crafts, and home décor items.

Greenovation | Little Shop of Hoarders | The Op Shop CONTINUED ON PAGE 54

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 53

BEST OF WHO WE ARE Best Ambassador of Rochester SHAWN DUNWOODY dunwoode.design

A multi-disciplinary creative force for change, Dunwoody brings imagination, creativity, context, and old-fashioned elbow grease to every art project he touches. He’s made the city a brighter place.

Hope Breen | Quajay Donnell | Dario Joseph and Chris Thompson

Best Bartender

DONNY CLUTTERBUCK (CURE) donnyclutterbuck.com Before his time at Cure, Clutterbuck worked clubs, dives, and free-pour cocktail bars. “I’ve been a bartender for as long as I can remember,” Clutterbuck says, “and I’ll always be exactly that.”

Cheers to that!

Ben Kulikowski (Tryon City Tavern) | Daniel Rehor (Vern’s) | Vince Warren (Rooster Pub and Pizza)

Best Bouncer BEAR (Lux) lux666.com

The kids at Lux love their “super sweet,” “super cuddly,” super-human-sized bouncer Barry (Bear) Lawler, whose wardrobe of teddy bear T-shirts play up his huggability. Just don’t get between him and his children. Poke this bear, and you’ll be eating pavement.

Lori Lippa (ROAR) | Oz Osborn (Marshall Street/Bug Jar)

Best Chef

MINA RIVAZFAR-HOYT @chefmina16 Pastry chef Mina Rivazfar-Hoyt has become something of a regular on the Food Network, having competed in three of its contests. She founded Something Delicious Bake Shop in 2015 and took her talents to the University of Rochester last year.

Ryan Donalty | Richard Reddington | Joe Zolnierowski

Best Festival

LILAC FESTIVAL rochesterevents.com/lilac-festival Rochester’s signature festival in Highland Park has been a favorite for generations.

Fringe Festival | Jazz Festival | Park Avenue Summer Arts Festival

Best Humanitarian DANIELLE PONDER danielleponder.com

The daughter of a pastor and social worker, a former public defender, and currently the diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office, musical artist Danielle Ponder is both empowering and a powerhouse.

Carol Crossed | Shawn Dunwoody | Stanley Martin

54 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Best Media Personality

Best Radio Station

Best Sports Team

A master interviewer and a quick study, Evan Dawson elevated WXXI News’s “Connections” brand to a new level when he took over as host of the afternoon radio talk show in 2014 — and he only got better. Dawson makes his listeners smarter.

WXXI’s news and talk format, coupled with its affiliation with National Public Radio, make it easily the most informative radio station in greater Rochester. And yeah, we’re biased on this one. Catch all its news and talk programming on 1370 AM around the clock and on 88.5 FM for much of the day. Want more culture? Try WXXI’s Classical 91.5 FM.

The oldest, continuously-run minor-league team in professional sports, the Red Wings have been a major source of hometown pride since 1899. The team’s Twitter account, @RocRedWings, is among the best anywhere.

EVAN DAWSON wxxinews.org/programs/connections

Alexis Arnold | Adam Chodak | Scott Hetsko

Best Music Teacher BILL TIBERIO

Fairport High School music teacher Bill Tiberio has been sharing his knowledge of music with students for more than three decades and is currently a quarter-finalist for the national 2022 Music Educator Award.

Nate Coffey | Ben Morey

Best Podcast

REFINED TASTE WITH DARIO AND CHRIS Local foodies and comedians Dario Joseph and Chris Thompson serve up laughs as they dish on the Rochester food scene.

Anomaly Presents | Enterprise Hardcore Podcast | Rochester Groovecast

WXXI wxxi.org

WAYO | WBER | WRUR

Best Social Justice Organization FREE THE PEOPLE ROC facebook.com/ftproc

Born out of the Black Lives Matter movement, Free the People ROC seeks to build on the legacy of Black liberation initiatives and has become a force in local politics.

Being Black in the Burbs | Girls Rock! Rochester | Metro Justice | Rochester DSA

Best Social Media Account THE INNERLOOP BLOG innerloopblog.com

The wisenheimers who run this blog will have you squirting milk out your nose.

Rochester Red Wings | Refined Taste Podcast | Sir Rocha Says

ROCHESTER RED WINGS milb.com/rochester

Rochester Americans | Roc City Roller Derby

Best TV News Station WHAM CHANNEL 13 13wham.com

Don Alhart. Ginny Ryan. Doug Emblidge. Jane Flasch.

This news team is made up of reporters with great TV news names and hair to match. Flasch’s investigative reporting is second to none.

Spectrum News | WHEC Channel 10 | WROC Channel 8

THANK YOU,

ROCHESTER!

BEST OF ROCHESTER 2021 CITY 55

ABOUT TOWN

Activism

Literary Events & Discussions

NYS Independent Redistricting Commission Rochester Hearing. Thu.,

Books Sandwiched In. Tuesdays,

Oct. 21, 4 p.m. Rochester Educational Opportunity Center (REOC), 161 Chestnut St. lwv-rma.org/redistricting.php.

Festivals Fall Harvest Festival. Sun., Oct. 10, 1-4 p.m. Helmer Nature Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave $2+. 336-3035.

Lectures Carved in Stone: A Walking Tour. Sat., Oct. 9, 11 a.m. Mount Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. North Gatehouse $12. fomh.org.

Fall Foliage Tour. Sat., Oct. 23, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Mount Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. North Gatehouse $12. fomh. org.

Leander McCord, Jr: Rochester’s Architect of the Roaring 20’s. Sat., Oct. 9, 10:30 a.m. Central Library, Kusler-Cox Auditorium, 115 South Ave 428-8370.

Outside Voices. Wed., Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.

Eisenhart Auditorium, Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave. Brad Edmondson: A Wild Idea adk-gvc.org.

Rochester Art Murals & Street Art. Thu., Oct. 14, 6 p.m. Virtual Central Library, roccitylibrary.org .

The Salem Witch Trials. Thu., Oct. 14, 7 p.m. Fairport Library, 1 Village Landing Maya Rook. Registration required 2239091.

Stranger Than Fiction: Life within the Boundaries of our Airport. Tue., Oct. 12, 7 p.m. Greece Historical Society & Museum, 595 Long Pond Rd. Presented

by Rick Iekel. Registration required 225-7221.

Sunday Tour. Sundays, 2 p.m Mount Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. North Gatehouse $12/$15. fomh.org.

UR & Mount Hope Cemetery Connections: A Walking Tour. Sat., Oct.

12:12-12:52 p.m Central Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Ave. Oct 5: Patrick Radden Keefe’s “Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty”; Oct 12: Chris Murphy’s “The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy”; Oct 19: Najah-Amatullah Hylton & Quraysh Ali Lansana’s “Opal’s Greenwood Oasis” & Carole Boston Weatherford’s “The Tulsa Race Massacre”; Oct 26: Ursula Burns’ “Where You Are is Not Who You Are” ffrpl.libraryweb.org.

Rochester Reads!. Through Nov. 9. Virtual Writers & Books, wab.org “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge & the Teachings of Plants,” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Events online & various locations.

Kids Events Ganondagan Storytellers Circle. Fri., Oct. 8, 2 p.m. Fairport Library, 1 Village Landing. Registration required 223-9091.

The Magic Guy. Sat., Oct. 16, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332 398-0220.

Nature Sunday Experiences. Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m Genesee Country Nature Center, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford $5 suggested gcv.org.

Pumpkin Patch Train Rides. Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, 282 Rush-Scottville Rd. 533-1431.

Sensory Friendly Sunday. Sun., Oct. 17, 8-10 a.m. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. (museumofplay. org) .

Storytime Club. Mondays, 10:30 a.m Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. (museumofplay.org) Marvelous Monsters with museum admission: $18/$23.

16, 11 a.m. Mount Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. $12. fomh.org/Events/ SpecialTours.

Volunteers needed: E-cigarette users

Earn $100 by participating in our study!

Two visits ($50 per visit).

The second visit will be 6 months after the first. There will be lung function test and blood draw (two tablespoons), saliva, breath condensate and urine collection at each visit.

Call our Research Coordinator at 585-224-6308 if you are interested or if you have questions. Thank you!

56 CITY OCTOBER 2021

Recreation Fall Foliage Train Ride. Wednesdays,

Ghosts of Mt. Hope Ave. Fridays, 7 & 9 p.m Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, .

Mt Hope & Reservoir $5/$15.

Saturdays, Sundays Arcade & Attica Railroad, 278 Main St Arcade Through Oct 17 $20-$22.

Halloween Silent Disco. Fri., Oct. 29, 8

Fall Sky Rides. Saturdays, Sundays, 12-4 p.m. and Mon., Oct. 11, 12-4 p.m Bristol Mountain Resort, 5662 NY 64 .

Canandaigua $12/$15. 374-6000.

HalloweenFest. Wednesdays-Sundays Lincoln Hill Farms, 3792 Rte 247 .

Canandaigua $15/$20.

Great Batavia Train Show. Sun., Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Genesee Community College, 1 College Rd . Batavia Free for ages 13 & under $3-$6. gsme.org.

Haunts of Henrietta. Sun., Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, Old Cartwright Inn, 5691 W Henrietta Rd $5/$15.

Tracking Fall Foliage by Trolley.

Sundays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m NY Museum of Transportation, 6393 E. River Rd $4$10. 533-1113.

Jack the Ripper in Rochester. Fridays,

Weekend Wild Walks. Saturdays, Sundays, 11 a.m Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. $3. rmsc.org.

Lady in White. Saturdays, 11 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 17, 9 p.m Oct 18, 6pm: Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks.

Across from Union Tavern $20.

Special Events

Mischief, Murder & Mayhem. Through Oct. 31, 11 a.m. Mount Hope Cemetery, 791 Mt Hope Ave. $12. fomh.org.

Community Garage Sales. Sundays, 7 a.m.-1 p.m Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St. Select Sundays through Oct 17.

Fashion Week Rochester. Oct. 13-16.

ROC Dome Arena, 2695 E Henrietta Rd .

Henrietta $35+.

National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Through Oct. 15. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. (museumofplay.org) with museum admission: $18/$23.

Rochester Gem, Mineral, Jewelry & Fossil Show and Sale. Oct. 23-24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Total Sports Experience, 880 Elmgrove Rd $6.

The Skate to End Hate. Sun., Oct. 17, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. Skateboarding, live music, speakers & vendors $10. 232-1520.

Halloween Family Halloween. Oct. 30-31, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. (museumofplay.org) $18/$23.

p.m. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor $20/$25. 775-2013.

9 p.m Oct 5, 6:30pm online lecture roccitylibrary.or). Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, . Mt Hope & Reservoir $20.

Museum of the Dead. Fri., Oct. 29, 8 p.m. Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900 $20.

North Coast Ghosts: Local Lakeside Haunts. Thu., Oct. 7, 2 p.m. Charlotte Library, 3557 Lake Ave. 428-8216.

Phantoms of Fairport. Sun., Oct. 17, 7 p.m. Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, Fairport Village Hall $5/$15.

Spirits of Sea Breeze. Saturdays, 7 & 9 p.m Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, .

Across from Union Tavern $5/$15.

Spirits of the Past: A Walk in the Dark.

Oct. 15-17, 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 22-24, 5:30-9 p.m. Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford $22/$25. gcv.org.

Toddler Trick-or-Treat. Fri., Oct. 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. (museumofplay. org) $18/$23.

ZooBoo. Saturdays Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St $5. 336-7200.

Do you have glaucoma or high eye pressure?

If so, you may qualify for a new investigational eye drop research study!

If you have previously been diagnosed with glaucoma or increased eye pressure and are at least 18 years of age, we invite you to participate.

The study involves ~6 office visits over the course of ~20 weeks.

You may be compensated for your time and travel.

Speak with your doctor for more information and to find out if you qualify.

Study Location: Rochester Ophthalmological Group, PC 2100 S. Clinton Avenue Rochester, NY 14618 (585) 244-6011 x 331

roccitynews.com CITY 57

LIFE

ON-SCREEN SCARES

ACROSS

Answers to this puzzle can be found on page 12

Sn

PUZZLE BY S.J. AUSTIN & J. REYNOLDS

Pu

1. Frat boys 5. Bart Simpson’s teacher, to friends 9. How to start off the workweek?

14. Comparable to a fiddle 19. Spiritual glow 20. Common COVID-19 testing method for college students

1

2

3

23. ** Low budget [91-Across] starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne 25. ** Cult [91-Across] whose poster features a creepy rabbit mask 27. Sierra _____ 28. Woman’s name meaning “honor”

34. Residence for a diplomat 37. Elevs.

41. Club with 13 Premier League titles 44. Clear as _____ 45. One of 4,256 for Charlie Hustle 47. Element between platinum and mercury on the periodic table 48. Lights on vape pens

23

53. Tavern offering

42

54. ** Disney [91-Across] in which Bette Midler portrays a witch

32

36 45

50 55

66

70

76

71

77

78

85

84

57 61

65

64

99

100

106

107 110

87

88

92

93 97

101

102

103

104

108

109

111

112

120

73 80

96

95

67

79

91

62

72

86

90

51

56

60

69

13

26

35

49

59

119

12

30

34

54

53

89

11

44 48

58

10

29

33

43

47

118

9

25 28

31

75

8

21

27

41

7

24

50. Socially active clothing brand 52. Soap-on-_____

6

20

30. Small, cutely 31. Quaint farewells

5

19

21. Nary _____ (no one) 22. 1986 rock autobiography

4

121

122

113 123

Across 1. ___ mistake (blew 14 15 16 it) 6. "___ De-Lovely" 9.22 Baseball tally 14. Brainstorms 15. "Well, lah-di___" 16. One of a road crew 17. Summer ailment 19. "Like me" 20. Et ___37 38 21. Absorb, as a cost 23. Middle of March 46Final authority 24.

26. Charged item 28.

52Biblical kingdom 31. Actresses standin 36. Singers Nelson and others 63 38. Castaway's site 39. Docs' org.

40. "Agnus 68___" 41. It's south of Eur. 43. Born, in France 44.

74Green hole 45. Mineral suffix 46. Flower girl, 81sometimes 48. Short-winded 50. Marks the new year 53. Specks 54. "___ la la!" 94 55. Japanese port 57. QB Tarkenton 60. Go on98 and on 62. Error 66.

Court wear 105 68. This puzzle's theme 70. Do-nothing 71. Actor Gibson

114 124

1 14

2

17

3

128

129

130

131

132

133

60. Gas up outside a diner?

61. Barista’s tool 63. Blue Jays, on a scoreboard 64. Colorado ski resort 65. Did some K.P. 67. Sis, for example 68. Fivers 69. Verbal cringe

24 28

29

71. Sommeliers’ assets—or subjects

37

40

41

45

39

40

50

73. _____ Picchu

57

58

59

66

75. Bert who played the Cowardly Lion

73

74

72. Bank statement entry 73. Tournament favorites 74. C.I.A. predecessor 75.82 Certain83 exams Down 1. Catchall abbr.

2. Together, musically 3. Fender blemish 4. Passes gingerly 5. Latin stars 6. Bachelor's last words 7. Chinese, e.g.

8. Where the Mets used to play 9. Health resort

116

117

77. “Tiny” Dickensian character 58 CITY OCTOBER 2021

101. Highways and byways

85. NBA notables Korver and Lowry

104. British student, sometimes

127. One feeling the weight of the world?

87. Fighting

106. Semiaquatic salamander

88. Lean against

107. Umbrage

89. Certain Snap

109. Gives a damn

91. ** Parody that spoofed “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”—or the theme of this puzzle

110. 1983 title role for Barbra Streisand

96. Bird known as a diver in the U.K.

118. ** Tim Burton [91-Across] that won an Academy Award for Best Makeup

97. Hydrocarbon suffixes

123. ** 1978 [91-Across] that was

68 71

84. Genre for Fall Out Boy

95. How a trucker might go up a steep hill

61

70

126. Tavern offerings

128. Spooky-sounding canal 129. 103-Down agent 130. Vessel raced in the Olympics since 1936

133. Hook’s boatswain

60 67

99. Make scents?

114. Trunk

46

54

81. Worshiper of Jah

94. Conclusion

38 42

51

Jamie Lee Curtis’s debut

132. Bus. letter heading

31

36

98. 1962 Bond flick

112. Place to display merit badges

25

30

79. Subway entrances

131. Solar system rings

15

20

57. Latin word in a Christmas carol 58. “Taken” star Liam

6

18

125

127

5

17

115

126

4

18

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DOWN

59. Fortune teller

1. Scoop water out of a boat

62. Targets

2. Mysterious mark

65. Drummer/vocalist Collins

3. “ish”

66. Shiva, to Hindus

4. Canonized

68. Light bulb moments

5. Prefix with -center

70. Eyelid inflammation

6. Scooby-_____

72. Attacks, in 38-Down

7. Parts of speech

74. First Nations people numbering over 350,000

8. As well 9. “_____ Butterfly,” 1915 silent film

75. Wound

10. General on a menu

76. _____ honorable (formal apology in medieval France)

11. Hit the lottery, say

78. Prefix with -zoic

12. What you need the aux cord to control

80. School founded by Henry VI

13. Goes fast 14. Epidemic not mentioned by Ronald Reagan until 1985

82. 1,000 kilograms 83. Choice words?

85. New Zealander, familiarly

15. “Don’t leave”

86. Put points on the board

16. Relative of a cedar

88. Vertical part of a stair

17. Sign (a deal) 18. Lao Tzu’s way

90. The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything

24. James of “Rebel Without a Cause”

92. Soon, poetically

26. Ireland’s second-best-selling musical artist, after U2

93. Handbag maker Wang

29. Yank’s foe 32. Raptor’s claw 33. Baldwin who has hosted SNL 17 times

96. Asset for a heavyweight 98. Renounces 100. Designate for development 102. Evaluate

35. Group of reliable voters

103. Subset of the DOJ

36. Severus’s boss

105. Presidential action that literally means “I forbid”

38. ** Bill Murray classic that is not exactly a [91-Across], but go with us here

108. Secondary instrument for many jazz saxophone players

39. Way to sneak, with “on”

109. Billboard list

40. Drives

111. Otherwise

41. Capital of Guam, old-style

113. Stadium for Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden

42. Parts to play 43. ** [91-Across] with the tagline “heads will roll”

115. 200 sheets of paper 116. Severely dry

44. _____ on TV!

117. Fairy tale opener

46. “Smooth Operator” singer

118. Network on the telly

49. 1965 science-fiction novel that has sold 20 million copies

119. Stat for a pitcher

51. PC keys that may be hit in a panic 54. Put an edge on 55. Contents of a prepster’s closet 56. Rating that Roger Ebert gave “Zoolander” 57. Actress Jessica

120. Morn’s counterpart 121. Unwell 122. Animal domesticated on the island of Cyprus 124. Like a raging party 125. Author Tolstoy

roccitynews.com CITY 59

60 CITY OCTOBER 2021