CITY Newspaper, December 25, 2019 - January 7, 2020

DEEC. 25 DEC. 25 2019 2019 - JJAN. AN. 7 2 2020 020 VOL. 49 NO. 16. DOUBLE ISSUE

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Our annual look at Rochester’s up-and-coming movers & shakers

Sixth-grader Oscar Merulla-Bonn is a disability rights activist from Brighton

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Feedback CITY welcomes your comments.

Send them to feedback@rochestercitynews.com with your name, your address, and your daytime phone number for verification.

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A note to readers: No CITY next week

Last year at this time, the CITY staff took a week off to recharge and refocus. It worked so well that we’re doing it again. CITY will publish its next print edition on Wednesday, January 8. In the meantime, we’ll continue to publish relevant breaking news on our website at rochestercitynewspaper.com.

Enjoy the holiday season, and, as always, thank you for reading.

THE CITY STAFF

County clerks should reverse course on Green Light Law

I strongly urge county clerks across the state to re-consider their position on the Green Light Law, which allows undocumented migrants to obtain drivers licenses (“Undocumented immigrants can get driver’s licenses,” December 18).

These licenses are marked “Not for Federal Purposes” and cannot be used to register to vote, obtain passports, or apply for social service benefits. License applicants have to show documented proof of age, identity, and New York residency. Then they must pass the same written and road test anyone 2 CITY

else applying for driver’s license would take. Only then, can they obtain the license, register their car, and obtain insurance.

By some estimates, half of New York farm laborers are undocumented migrants.

Without them, the working farms across the state that are critical to our economy would fail. That is why the Business Council of New York, the state’s largest business lobbying group, supports the law.

Yet, the state association representing county clerks, who oversee the issuance of driver’s licenses, is urging the state to stop the program, citing concerns over safety and implementation.

The law will make it easier for farmworkers to participate in their communities, their schools, and churches. Forcing people to be isolated from their community and limiting their economic opportunity by law (or because of personal preference in the case of some county clerks) is a form of institutional racism.

WILLIAM FINE, BROCKPORT

Rochester needs a theater etiquette lesson

I have noticed that it has become more difficult for me — a reasonably educated and culturally-aware older man — to enjoy being part of a theatre audience in Rochester.

Can it be that we are such country rubes as to not have basic knowledge of how to look, listen, and react attentively to accomplished professional performers?

At the December 12 performance of the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker at the RBTL Auditorium Theater, there were the invariable bright glows of cell screens of the time-checkers and texters

DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Gym made me more tolerant

I was thrilled to see the front-page story, “Fitting in — A gym for people who feel uncomfortable at ‘the gym’” (December 18).

I am a married “senior” who has been working with Christine Walker as a trainer, first in another location and since the spring at Positive Force Movement. In addition to working on my primary goal of getting healthy and physically feeling better, I have learned so much from both Christine and Lore about understanding gender and the obstacles many individuals face. I still have much to learn but know already that I am working harder at being more tolerant and accepting of all people, regardless of gender or sexuality.

Christine and Lore’s studio is indeed welcoming and they are remarkable, talented people!

KAREN ALLEN, FAIRPORT

in the audience. Particularly distracting was the raised phone a few rows up from me as a woman recorded a particularly lovely, in real-time pas de deux. Did she want to enjoy it again over breakfast?

Finally, there was the obligatory RSO — Rochester Standing Ovation — which, I kid you not, occurs after at least 95 percent of all performances I attend. First there are the sentinels, who pop up because they need to give some love. They’re followed by the opportunists, who see it as a chance to make for an early exit. And finally, they’re joined by anyone else who just wants to see.

New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley has noted the perfect appropriateness of the “sitting ovation.” Do we not, as a Rochester audience, limit our vocabulary of response to a performance if we stand and clap for each and every one? I doubt that the performers even “buy it.”

Remember, too, that etiquette also accepts and allows for a robust “boo.” Some performances might call for it.

One does not need a degree in the arts to be receptive to the arts. Our brains are wired to know them and experience them.

But each of us has the opportunity for ballet, for music, for contemplation of any kind to happen only when the rest of the world kind of melts away.

And when we can share this transport among our fellow, well-behaved wanderers in this world, we have experienced something wonderful indeed.

JOE STRUBLE, ROCHESTER

Why I voted “no” on the P.A.B.

As with any new legislation, the devil is in the details.

That is why I voted against the referendum to establish a Police Accountability Board

that was recently passed by voters. (“PAB hits first milestone as applicants pour in,” December 11.)

To whom would such a board be accountable?

Would it be City Hall, the NRA, Moms Demand Action, the religious community, law enforcement agencies, or some other special interest group? The credentials of members holding seats on the board will determine what, if any, credibility its decisions and judgements might have. Members of this board would do well to take the course offered by the Monroe County sheriff to all pistol permit holders.

It instructs attendees under what circumstances discharge of their firearm might be warranted.

The term “deadly physical force” is a key phrase in any discussion regarding actions between individuals and police.

Although the use of such force by civilians is never authorized, at times it is legally justified (home invasion, defense against assault or robbery, etc.). In New York state all civilians have a “duty to retreat” when threatened, as opposed to the “stand your ground” option allowed in others.

Actions taken by authorized law enforcement agencies should be not judged by these rules alone, as they have the additional responsibilities incidental to their duties.

A civilian sitting in judgement of an officer of the law without knowledge of the rules and the responsibility to which he or she is sworn to uphold strikes me as unwise at best. To whom this panel is responsible is just one of many questions to be answered.

TODD CLICKNER, ROCHESTER

News. Arts. Life.

Greater Rochester’s Alternative Newsweekly December 25, 2019-January 7, 2020 Vol 49 No 16 On the cover: Photograph by Josh Saunders 280 State Street Rochester, New York 14614 themail@rochester-citynews.com phone (585) 244-3329 rochestercitynewspaper.com Publisher: Rochester Area Media Partners LLC, Norm Silverstein, chairman. William and Mary Anna Towler, founders EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT themail@rochester-citynews.com Editor: David Andreatta News editor: Jeremy Moule Staff writer: Gino Fanelli Arts & entertainment editor: Rebecca Rafferty Music editor: Daniel J. Kushner Music writer: Frank De Blase Calendar editor: Kate Stathis Contributing writers: Rachel Crawford, Roman Divezur, Katie Halligan, Adam Lubitow, Ron Netsky, Katie Preston, David Raymond, Leah Stacy, Chris Thompson, Hassan Zaman CREATIVE DEPARTMENT artdept@rochester-citynews.com Creative director/Operations manager: Ryan Williamson Designer/Photographer: Jacob Walsh Digital content strategist: Renée Heininger ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT ads@rochester-citynews.com Sales manager: Alison Zero Jones New business development: Betsy Matthews Advertising consultant/ Project mananger: David White Advertising consultant/ Classified sales representatives: Tracey Mykins OPERATIONS/CIRCULATION kstathis@rochester-citynews.com Business manager: Angela Scardinale Circulation manager: Katherine Stathis Distribution: David Riccioni, Northstar Delivery CITY Newspaper is available free of charge. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased for $1 each at the CITY Newspaper office. CITY Newspaper may be distributed only by authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of CITY Newspaper, take more than one copy of each weekly issue.

CITY (ISSN 1551-3262) is published weekly 50 times minimum per year by Rochester Area Media Partners, a subsidiary of WXXI Public Broadcasting. Periodical postage paid at Rochester, NY (USPS 022-138).

Address changes: CITY, 280 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and the New York Press Association. Annual subscriptions: $35 ($30 senior citizens); add $10 for out-of-state subscriptions. Refunds for fewer than ten months cannot be issued. Copyright by Rochester Area Media Partners LLC, 2019 - all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system without permission of the copyright owner. @ROCCITYNEWS

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK | BY DAVID ANDREATTA

Cuomo’s veto snubs Monroe County’s poor A few days before Christmas last year, a single mother of three young children in Rochester received notice from the Monroe County Department of Social Services that her public assistance and food stamps benefits would be reduced for two months.

The agency was punishing her for not showing up at a scheduled “work experience program” appointment that was a condition of her benefits.

Although the woman had explained to her case worker that she was already working 20 hours a week and enrolled full-time at Monroe Community College — a situation that meant she had fulfilled the condition of her benefits and didn’t need to attend the appointment — her explanation was not enough to satisfy the agency.

The appointment was missed, and that was all that mattered. Her benefits were slashed.

The woman appealed the sanction, and five months later, a state-appointed adjudicator found Monroe County was wrong and ordered it to retroactively restore her benefits.

A few days before Christmas this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo rejected an opportunity to all but end scenarios like that one when he vetoed a bill that would have given public assistance recipients across the state the same protections already in law for those in New York City.

In his veto message, Cuomo said the bill was “laudable in purpose” but would create “financial obligations and operational challenges” the state wasn’t ready to assume.

His message didn’t specify those obligations and challenges.

The law, which took effect in 2015, made it more difficult for New York City to impose so-called “employment-related” sanctions on public assistance recipients, such as those for failing to comply with a work requirement, like missing an appointment for a “work experience program.”

For instance, the city must now consider whether the infraction was due to a disability, a child care concern, or a transportation problem before imposing a sanction. The law also barred the city from issuing a sanction for a single infraction, like a missed appointment.

The result has been a sharp decrease in employment-related sanctions in New York City that has enabled public assistance recipients to focus on getting themselves on track to a better life — like finding a steady job that pays a livable wage — without the disruption of losing benefits.

While the law made it easier for people to

keep their benefits, it was less about relaxing the conditions of those benefits than it was about recognizing the complexities of everyday life for impoverished people and factoring that into the sanction process.

Poor people often don’t have cars, access to day care, or flexibility in their schedules.

The law was put into place in New York City because several state audits over many years found that most employment-related sanctions there were overturned when challenged.

No such audit has been done of Monroe County. One should, though.

Data kept by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance show that hundreds of decisions by Monroe County to reduce or suspend benefits to public assistance recipients are reversed or modified on appeal every year.

In other words, the county was found to have been wrong to impose such sanctions in the first place, as it was in the case of the single mother.

The outcome of that mother’s appeal lives in an online database of thousands of such appeals from across the state. Each has been redacted to shield the identity of the affected public assistance recipients.

Her appeal didn’t mention how she managed to get by for those months in which her benefits were slashed. But chances are good that she and her children turned to a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter for help. Many people under sanctions do.

Public assistance recipients can be sanctioned for a variety of reasons, but employment-related sanctions are among the most common.

State data show that in any given month 535 Monroe County residents are under employment-related sanctions for a set duration, typically 30 to 90 days.

By contrast, the same data show that just 15 people per month on average are under such sanctions in all of New York City, where the population receiving public assistance is 10 times that of Monroe County. Before the law, that number routinely topped 5,000.

Advocates for the poor in Monroe County have been waiting for years for the law to be extended here.

Maybe next Christmas.

David Andreatta is CITY’s editor. He can be reached at dandreatta@rochester-citynews.com. rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 3

[ NEWS IN BRIEF ]

Poverty rates inch downward The poverty rate in Rochester fell slightly between 2014 and 2018, to 32.6 percent from 33.1 percent, according to new U.S. Census data.

The same data show the child poverty rate fell to 51 percent from 51.9 percent.

Despite the change, Rochester remains the third poorest city among the top 75 metropolitan areas in the country, according to the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative.

City advances vacancy study

Rochester City Council took the first step necessary to opt into state rent stabilization laws when, in a unanimous vote, it approved a $40,000 contract for a consultant to lead an apartment vacancy study.

The study will determine if Rochester meets the threshold for a “housing emergency" — a vacancy rate of 5 percent or less in the rental housing stock the city wants to regulate; in this case, apartment buildings with six or more units that were built before 1974.

If the housing emergency threshold is met, the city will be able to opt

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into rent stabilization and tenant protection laws that had previously only been offered in New York City and other downstate communities. In June, lawmakers gave upstate communities the ability to opt into those laws.

POLITICS | BY JEREMY MOULE

Term limits lead to new Dem leadership

School board approves layoffs

The Rochester Board of Education approved laying off 175 district employees, including 109 teachers, in a split vote.

Commissioners voted 5-to-2 in favor of the plan, which was proposed by Superintendent Terry Dade as a way of making up for $30 million the district overspent last academic year and to bridge the resulting budget gap, estimated at around $65 million, this year.

Board President Van White and Commissioner Natalie Sheppard cast the “no” votes, while Commissioners Elizabeth Hallmark, Beatriz LeBron, Cynthia Elliott, Judith Davis, and Willa Powell voted “yes.”

Most of the layoffs will be effective beginning Jan. 1 or Jan. 10.

Under the plan approved by the school board, the district will also lay off 32 support staff, like secretaries, 22 paraprofessionals, and 12 administrators.

DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Democratic county legislators have elected Legislator Vince Felder to their caucus's top leadership post. FILE PHOTO

When the Monroe County Legislature reconvenes in 2020, Legislator Vince Felder will hold the top leadership post in the Democratic minority caucus.

Democratic legislators selected Felder, who was first elected in 2015, to be the next minority leader. The position will potentially carry more weight in the new session than previously with a Democrat in the office county executive.

Adam Bello unseated Republican County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo in the recent election, snapping the GOP’s 27-year hold on the seat.

In his new capacity, Felder will likely be a crucial liaison between Bello and the legislature. He said the caucus will “be working as closely as possible with Adam Bello.”

Among his priorities, Felder said, will be to work to repeal what he called the “ridiculous” first responder harassment law passed

by Republicans. The law makes “intentionally annoying” a police officer or first responder a crime, and has been derided as unconstitutional and unnecessary by police, defense attorneys, and civil rights advocates.

Democrats gained two seats in the 2019 elections but Republicans will still hold a 15 to 14 majority in 2020. So if Democrats want to pass or repeal legislation they’ll need to convince at least one Republican to vote with them.

Felder replaces Cynthia Kaleh as the Democratic caucus’s leader. Kaleh was unable to run for re-election due to term limits.

Democrats re-elected Ernest Flagler-Mitchell to one of two assistant minority leader posts and elected Josh Bauroth to the other.

Flagler-Mitchell has served in the Legislature since 2015 and Bauroth since 2011.

Four of the 14 Democratic legislators are women, and all of them are freshman. Seeking to ensure that their voices are heard by the leadership, the legislators, Sabrina Lamar, Linda Hasman, Yversha Roman, and Rachel Barnhart, have formed a Women’s Caucus.

Jeremy Moule is CITY’s news editor.

He can be reached at jmoule@rochestercitynews.com.

The increases are something of a double-edged sword. On one hand, they suggest owners could sell their property for more today than in years past. On the other, an increase often means a higher property tax bill. Both exacerbate housing affordability in a city where one third of the population lives in poverty.

HOUSING | BY GINO FANELLI

Home assessments up 19% across Rochester Many Rochester property owners are reeling over a holiday greeting from City Hall: Notices that their property assessments are going up — way up in many cases.

City property values rose 19.3 percent on average in a citywide reassessment, to $90,864 from $76,145, with the biggest jumps being in the South Wedge and Upper Falls neighborhoods, where the typical home value soared 37 percent and 34 percent, respectively.

The increases are something of a doubleedged sword for property owners and those struggling to find housing.

On one hand, the spikes suggest owners could sell their property for more today than in years past. On the other, an assessment increase often translates to a higher property tax bill. Both exacerbate housing affordability in a city where one third of the population lives in poverty.

Across the board, 87 percent of residential property owners saw their assessments rise, according to the city. By contrast, only about one in four commercial properties saw an uptick.

The assessments will be reflected on property tax bills for the 2021 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Kristen Schmidt was notified that the assessment on her corner-lot home in

the Browncroft neighborhood went up $104,600, an amount she figured would raise her property tax bill by $1,500.

Records show Schmidt paid nearly $5,800 in city taxes this year.

“They want people to stay in the city, they want people to pay their fair share, which I’m more than willing to do,” Schmidt said. “But they’re also making it harder."

Not all property owners will pay more taxes, however. Whether an increased assessment means a higher tax bill depends on the tax rate and levy, which will be set next summer. Should the rate be reduced, property owners whose assessment increases were below the city average will likely see their tax bill decrease.

All of these adjustments end up shifting the tax burden within city neighborhoods. For instance, as things stand, the increase in home values in the South Wedge translates to that neighborhood assuming an additional 18-percent burden. Meanwhile, in the East Avenue neighborhood, where assessments rose on average by nearly 12 percent, the tax shift fell almost 8 percent.

“I think it’s important to note your assessment going up is not guaranteed that your taxes are going to go up,” city spokesperson Justin Roj said.

A HEALTHY HOUSING MARKET The city re-evaluates residential and commercial properties every four years.

Under state law, assessors are to place a value on a property that hews closely to what that property would sell for on the open market under normal circumstances.

There are 65,196 residential and commercial properties in the city. Of those, 47,785 saw their assessments rise; 5,282 were unchanged, and 1,853 saw drops, according to the city.

City Assessor Michael Zazzara explained that the city mostly bases the residential assessment figures on actual sales of comparable homes dating back the previous two years. But, he added, appraisers also drive or walk the streets and take note of how properties actually look, and factor in that information. “(The comparable homes are) not necessarily the same street,” Zazzara said.

“But we have the city broken down into 132 different evaluation neighborhoods.

So it’s properties that are alike in size or condition that are also, say, north of 490 on Culver Road.”

For those who follow the local housing market, the assessment increases should come as no surprise. Earlier this month, Realtor.com ranked Rochester as the sixth

PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

hottest housing market in the nation, with a 4.7-percent increase in sales and a 0.4-percent increase in prices.

Still, the assessments have startled city residents, and exacerbate the challenge of ensuring affordability.

Roj and Zazzara cast rising assessments as a good thing and a reflection of healthy market trends. They said the growth in value suggested more first-time homebuyers are choosing Rochester.

“It’s affordability and the amenities that (the city) offers,” Roj said. “It’s really driving the market, and you really do have many more options to live and work in the city.” continues on page 6

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CITY 5

Assesments continues from page 5

CAUSE FOR CONCERN? Many city residents are skeptical of the claim that first-time homebuyers are driving the market. They counter that rental housing is moving the market in their neighborhoods.

Kathy Kurz, who has lived on Cypress Street in the popular Highland Park neighborhood for 25 years, said she has seen an influx of investors seeking to buy up houses to convert into rental properties.

She pointed to one house on Cypress which has sold four times — most recently in July 2019 — since she’s lived in her home.

“All through the years, I’ve got mailers stuck in my mail slot or letters saying we’re interested in buying your property,” Kurz said. “I actually got a text, how this guy got my phone number I don’t know. ‘Hi this is Chris, I’m interested in buying your property, is this Kathy?’ And it’s like, ‘Who the f--- are you?’”

Kurz is facing a $30,300 increase in her assessment and her house, she said, is already in need of exterior work. Records show her home is now valued at $114,300.

“It’s not necessarily about the tax bill,” Kurz said. “Let’s say I die tomorrow and my daughter wants to sell the house, she’s not going to get $80,000 for it. That’s what the assessment is supposed to be about, this is what your home is worth.”

Rochester real estate listings are crawling with limited liability companies based in the suburbs and beyond looking to make investments. Some of their names leave nothing to the imagination, such as Pittsford-based

MakeMoneyInRental LLC. Last spring, the company paid $180,000 for a house on Gregory Street in the South Wedge that was assessed at $80,000.

Neighborhoods like much of South Wedge and Highland are zoned R-1, meaning they are reserved for low-density residential properties.

The city code states those neighborhoods should be predominantly owner-occupied, but that’s not always the case.

For example, according to recent census data, just a third of the R-1 homes in the tract around Cypress Street were owner-occupied.

Bruce Mellen, president of the Upper Mt. Hope Neighborhood Association, is concerned that investment rental properties will proliferate and supplant the owner-occupied residences.

“My desire is to get us down to a 40 percent (rental occupancy), I think that would be huge for the neighborhood,” said Mellen, whose assessment went up almost 22 percent.

“Some of these landlords are getting between $650 and $850 per person for houses that were $120,000 when they purchased them,” Mellen said. “You do a calculation on the rate of return and it’s a hell of a lot better than the stock market.”

Mellen points specifically to White Coat Properties, LLC, Victor-based company that bought nine single-family homes around the University of Rochester in 2017. White Coat is clear about its target market — the company’s website is studenthousinginrochester.com.

Kurz has the same concerns about investment rental properties in the Highland Park neighborhood.

AND THE HIGHEST INCREASES WENT TO...

Average 2016 Assesment

Average 2020 Percent Assesment Change

Culver-Winton

93,869 122,486

30.49

Ellwanger Barry

124,713 157,150

26.01

Mayor’s Heights

38,698 50,710

31.04

South Wedge

103,500 141,772

36.98

Upper Falls

28,667 38,295

33.59

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DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

For more Tom Tomorrow, including a political blog and cartoon archive, visit www.thismodernworld.com

“I’m middle class, if you want to have a solid, consistent neighborhood, you’ve got to attract people like me,” Kurz said. “If it’s just rental properties, at some point in time, you’re dealing with the fact that it’s an investment, and prices are based on, ‘How much are you willing to invest?’

FIGHTING YOUR ASSESSMENT Assessments can be contested.

The deadline to challenge an assessment is known in the industry as “Grievance Day.” In most New York municipalities, that day is the fourth Tuesday in May. In Rochester, however, Grievance Day is the third Tuesday in March, or March 17, 2020.

Contesting an assessment involves presenting evidence to the city’s Board of Assessment Review as to why a property’s assessment should be lowered. Property owners can represent themselves or send a delegate.

The board is a panel of five people appointed

by City Council to render decisions on assessment challenges. The proceedings are scheduled in 10-minute intervals and recorded.

Property owners are given five minutes to make their case; the assessor has three minutes, and two minutes are allotted for discussion.

Mounting an effective challenge requires a property owner establishing a fair market value on his or her property. That can be done through comparable sales and private appraisals.

Neighborhood real estate agents can help track down previous sales.

The burden of proof is on the property owner, not the assessor. By law, the value the assessor placed on the property is presumed to be correct.

The board does not make decisions on the spot. Results of the board’s deliberations are mailed at the end of the hearing process for the year, which is typically late April in Rochester.

If the board denies a reduction, a property owner can appeal the decision to specially trained hearing officer through a process called a Small Claims Assessment Review.

Here are some handy tips for a successful review offered by the city on its website: • Fill out a Real Property Tax Law form 524 (RPTL 524) and file it with the assessor.

• When your proceeding date is scheduled, show up on time.

• Be prepared with your materials — comparable sales, photographs, appraisals — in order.

• Follow deadlines, obey official requests, and be respectful.

• Remember, the assessment is assumed correct unless you prove otherwise.

• The Rochester Board of Assessment Review will be hosting informal interviews through February. If you believe that your assessment is incorrect, contact the assessment office at (585) 428-7221. Complaints to the board are open until Tuesday, March 17.

Gino Fanelli is a CITY staff writer. He can be reached at gfanelli@rochester-citynews.com.

Dining & Nightlife

Griyo (fried pork), fried plantains, and picklin (fermented cabbage). PHOTOS BY JACOB WALSH

Summer in the snow Louisiana’s Haitian Restaurant 1172 SOUTH PLYMOUTH AVENUE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NOON TO 9 P.M.; FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOON TO 10 P.M. 363-5484 [REVIEW] BY CHRIS THOMPSON

Winter is here, and unlike the final season of Game of Thrones, it will last longer than six weeks. But if you’re not a big fan of snow, it may be just as disappointing. Rochester’s winters tend to be long and drawn out, like the release date of the final installment of the GoT novel series.

It’s easy to feel a little melancholy as the nights fall early and the sun rises later.

My go-to pastime when I am longing for warmer months is to eat food that reminds me of summer. Rochester has no

shortage of Caribbean restaurants — I’ve written about Jamaican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican spots around town, but what about Haitian food? Louisiana’s Haitian Restaurant might just be your new favorite spot to get a dose of lively summer flavor in the dead of winter. I had a meal there on the eve of the last snow squall, and not a thing bothered me as I enjoyed the homestyle Haitian food with soul.

Louisiana’s is a family-run business.

Kenoi Metales owns it, but the restaurant is named after his wife, who is also the head chef. Their daughters Marjorie Gay and Jenny Metales handle much of the front end management. They’ve been open since September, and say business has been good. Besides the neighbors in the Plymouth Avenue area, Louisiana’s serves the students and staff of the nearby University of Rochester, and there’s also a decent-sized Haitian population in the area who are

excited about the new restaurant serving food from home.

The Metales family themselves have been in the Rochester area since the 1980s. Louisiana has always had a fervent passion for cooking, and the family members say they want to leave a legacy for the younger generations.

Louisiana’s has all the key aesthetic elements that I appreciate in an AfroCaribbean restaurant. A huge, wall-sized chalk board behind the counter has a set of two artfully illustrated Haitian flags on the top corners, sitting like curtains raised to introduce the full menu. Hanging on the other walls throughout the shop are a map of Haiti and various pieces of African and African-American art. A mix of kompa, soca, and dancehall music was playing, serenading me as I waited for my order to be filled.

Sisters Marjorie Gay and Jenny Metales would intermittently speak Haitian Creole

to their parents while their mother cooked.

The longer I stayed there, the more I felt like a dinner guest at someone’s house as opposed to a customer in a restaurant. I almost forgot about all the snow outside.

I could smell food cooking as soon as my senses adjusted to the warmth inside, away from the frigid street. But I couldn’t tell what exactly I was smelling, likely a mix of a few things. I just knew it smelled good, like a stew set to simmer. The menu is simple, yet full of choices. There are three chicken dishes, griyot (pork), a hearty vegetable stew, red snapper, and lumbi (sometimes spelled labmi).

The lumbi stuck out to me, as it’s a stew made with conch, a small shellfish that I hadn’t had since the summertime. Sadly, they were out that day — it’s quite popular.

I opted for a red snapper fillet ($14), which came with a heaping serving of red beans and rice, steamed cabbage, and doublefried plantains. While chatting with Gay, Jenny Metales also gave me a small salad to munch on while I waited for the main course to arrive to the table.

The huge snapper fillet was light and flaky, but also hearty and solid, and coated with a blend of spices that gave the top a reddish hue and a light crisp.

I had never had snapper served this way before. Usually, I’d have it garnished with some salt and pepper and a bit of lemon, but this was a major upgrade. The milder flavors of the rice, beans, and cabbage were a perfect contrast to the sharp taste of the snapper.

Me being me, I decided it a good idea to dose my meal, including the remaining salad, with the house-made hot sauce. I was skeptical at first because of how thin it was, but that’s the result of double-straining the peppers so no seeds get into the concoction.

It’s an extra spicy orange habanero sauce that’s the perfect accent for anything it touches. Be warned: only a little bit is needed. It looks innocuous enough, but it’s frankly more potent than most storebought sauces.

Louisiana’s Haitian Restaurant is the perfect escape from the bitter cold. My only two complaints are that the to-go sporks are too small for my appetite, and that after such a satisfying meal, I had to go back out into the burgeoning Upstate tundra.

Chris Thompson is a freelance writer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@rochester-citynews.com. rochestercitynewspaper.com

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DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

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meet the 10 1 Jenn BEIDEMAN

6 Dan GROSS

2 Chaz BRUCE

7 Stanley MARTIN

3 Leslie DANKS BURKE

8 Oscar MERULLA-BONN

4 Rosalie "Daystar" JONES

9 Johnnie SIMMONS

5 Bella FANALE

10 Jeremy TJHUNG

T

he thing is, sometimes it feels like six people live in Rochester. The same handful of folks — public officials, corporate leaders, nonprofit muckety-mucks — dominate our headlines week after week. They write our laws. They steer public discourse. They are over-exposed.

Meanwhile, countless people who make greater Rochester a better and more interesting place to live, work, and play don’t get the shine they deserve.

CITY’s annual Rochester 10 feature is an attempt to turn the spotlight on outstanding, everyday people whose pursuits, passions, and talents enrich our community.

The 2019 Rochester 10 are movers and shakers and up-andcomers who fly under the media radar, but who we should expect to hear more from, and more about, in the future. A champion for local musicians . . . A woman dedicated to ensuring children have unstructured play time . . . A young boy fighting for disability rights . . . A dancer who portrays the personal stories of Native Americans. . . A fashion designer fighting to end gun violence . . .

Their stories and more are inside. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed telling them.

10

meet the STAFF 10

David Andreatta EDITOR

Gino Fanelli WRITER

Josh Saunders PHOTOGRAPHY

Daniel J. Kushner WRITER

Ryan Williamson DESIGN

Jeremy Moule WRITER

Renée Heininger DIGITAL

Rebecca Rafferty WRITER

rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 9

COMMUNITY HEALTH

Jenn BEIDEMAN Play isn't trivial

BY JEREMY MOULE

Play isn’t just the joyful squeals of kids on swings or the sometimes abstract drawings that manifest when a child puts marker to paper.

Jenn Beideman, advocacy manager of Common Ground Health, puts it another way: play isn’t trivial. Unstructured play is how children learn and develop. It’s also how they build important skills like teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving.

Play is serious business. It’s also Beideman’s business.

“When we don’t give those opportunities to kids, we’re really robbing them of the developmentally appropriate practice that they need to be successful in life,” said Beideman, who lives in the North Winton Village neighborhood with her husband, Craig.

Beideman, who is originally from the Toronto area and is a former policy aide to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s standing committees, has been in her position at Common Ground for five years. She’s spent much of that time supporting the organization’s Healthi Kids Coalition, a collaborative initiative that promotes healthy lifestyles for children.

Play is a major focus of the coalition, which has run an expansive yet targeted campaign around it over the past four years. Beideman has been the backbone of those efforts.

Her advocacy takes on different forms.

As the city developed its Rochester 2034 comprehensive plan, she attended dozens of meetings alongside parents, advocating for the city to include play as a priority in the plan.

The night that City Council approved the plan, which indeed included play as a priority, Beideman was there to offer remarks supporting it.

Beideman has also been among the Health Kids Coalition members and allies who have urged the city to make its streets more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, which she said helps make communities safer for children.

“All of this work around play has been a community effort, it’s been a team effort,” Beideman said. “That’s the best part of my job, getting to work alongside so many residents and youth. We’re all building things together.”

Healthi Kids ramped up its play campaign following a successful effort to ensure city public school students got recess.

Beideman and other coalition members kept hearing from parents that their children needed time for unstructured play in the schools because not all kids had the opportunity to play outside at home.

In response, the coalition and its partners ramped up their efforts to promote safe spaces for play and to develop public play spaces. As

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Beideman dug into policy research and began looking at what other communities have done around public play spaces, she saw a lot of potential for Rochester.

“I created all of these infographics showing people we can have playful bus shelters, we can have colorful crosswalks, we can have playful sidewalks,” Beideman said. “It was a lot of just sharing out those images so people could see, ‘Oh, this is possible here.’”

The Phyllis Wheatley Library Story Walk grew out of that work. So did the new Play Walk near Strong Museum and Martin Luther King Jr. Park at Manhattan Square. The Play Walk features large games and a collection of musical instruments that anyone is free to play.

It’s popular with kids and adults.

The coalition is working with other community groups on additional public play spaces. Ultimately, Beideman’s goal — and the goal of the Healthi Kids Coalition and its allies — is to foster a “play everywhere” atmosphere in the city.

They want to emphasize that play happens, and should happen, in everyday space. It can take the form of hopscotch on a sidewalk or a game at a bus stop. Kids walking from their schools to rec centers can play.

“Play can happen outside of parks and playgrounds,” Beideman said.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Chaz BRUCE Music teacher turns social media influencer

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

Life has changed a lot for 35-year-old Rochester musician and dancer Chaz Bruce since last spring when, after a decade in education, he left his position as a music teacher at School 17 to pursue a full-time career as a social media influencer and entrepreneur.

With 2.6 million followers and 51.1 million “likes” (and counting) on the emergent social media platform TikTok, Bruce’s star is rising quickly as he’s embraced the role of Internet celebrity, cultural ambassador, and educator-atlarge in the last year.

Started in 2017, TikTok is a mobile app for sharing short videos of lip syncing, music performances, and comedy bits lasting up to 15 seconds. It was the fourth most downloaded app in 2019 and the seventh most downloaded of the decade, according to app tracker App Annie. TikTok is arguably at the forefront of creative expression on social media, and Bruce is right in the center of it.

But how did he get there?

“I understood, one, the importance of social media, video content, and capturing the moment,” Bruce said. “And I didn’t necessarily know what platform it was gonna be that I would blow up, but I always incorporated any of my social media and videos into my classroom. ‘Cause I just knew that it was

important, not only to me and to the world, but it was important to the students.”

Bruce’s TikTok videos, particularly those he created with the students in his music class at School 17, have a fun-loving, irrepressible energy — whether Bruce and company are finding creative ways to demonstrate the latest dance trends or simply joking around.

And while having fun is an important component of Bruce’s online presence, there is a greater message. “That positivity, energy, love, and arts win — period,” he said. “And authenticness wins, being yourself. If you wanna dance, dance. If you wanna sing, sing. If you wanna inspire, inspire. And then put yourself around people that wanna do the same thing, and try and figure out who you are before you try and curate yourself to be somebody that you’ve seen elsewhere.”

Through the creation of TikTok videos with his students, Bruce utilized this approach to authenticity and creative expression in his own customized curriculum, incorporating lessons about building a personal brand and reaching a large audience on social media. His students learned about what to call your followers (in this case, #BruceGang), how

to create a logo, how to use music to help brand the logo, and how to create and sell merchandise based on your social media brand and content.

Bruce was teaching life skills on the sly, showing his students how to be confident, enterprising, and successful, no matter what talents or skills they may have. “What are you really learning in this class that you might not learn in these other classes, ‘cause they’re forced to teach to this curriculum so that you can pass this test?” he asked. “I don’t care about a test. Learn this so your life can be better.” In his own formative education, Bruce said he had a series of influential music teachers who mentored him and encouraged his creative talents.

In addition to presenting at schools, he now works with various organizations and businesses on social media outreach.

Ultimately, Bruce wants to be both an educator and an entertainer, no matter where TikTok takes him. “I will forever teach,” he said.

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 11

POLITICS

Leslie DANKS BURKE Standing up for honest government

BY GINO FANELLI

Like many political pursuits, the Trailblazers political action committee began with a dash of disillusionment in the political process.

While running for the 58th District New York Senate seat in 2016, Leslie Danks Burke dedicated herself to running a transparent campaign, one that accounted for every penny donated. Hers was a simple goal, but one she saw as uncommon in the world of local politics.

After losing the election to the incumbent, Republican Thomas O’Mara, Danks Burke set out to create an incentive for transparency in local elections.

In early 2017, she founded the Trailblazers PAC with the goal of finding and funding candidates for local government, anywhere in the country, who “stand up for honest government” and strive for transparency, clean campaigns, and community engagement.

Its motto is, “Moving politics out of the backroom and onto the front porch.”

Based in the Southern Tier, the PAC has endorsed candidates across the state and as far away as Indiana, Georgia, Ohio, and Massachusetts.

“Most people who run for local level offices are doing it because they care about the community and they want to make things better in their area,” Danks Burke said. “We ask candidates to not only do the hard work, but to go even a step further.”

That step further can be demanding.

The PAC is open to candidates running for office at the county level or lower, and in order to qualify, they must disclose all of their campaign donations, as well as draw donations from at least 1 percent of voting households in their district.

That latter part was an eye-opening hurdle for Democratic Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart, whose recent campaign was endorsed by the PAC. She said it was difficult to make the cut.

“We would knock on doors of people who had my campaign sign on their yard, and some didn’t have a quarter to

donate,” Barnhart said. “These are people who supported me, but simply just didn’t have the money to spare.”

The 1-percent donation standard is intended to force candidates to engage with and pull funding from the community they’ll serve. In New York, any donation from a single donor under $99 does not need to be itemized. In 2017, the Trailblazer PAC carried out a survey determining one out of every eight dollars came in the form of these small donations, or $31 million. The cash was what could be called “ghost money,” donations that could not be traced via public record.

“There’s always some loophole that allows a candidate to hide some donations to their campaign,” Danks Burke said.

Transparency is the name of the game for Danks Burke, and while most of the candidates endorsed by the PAC are Democrats, she hopes that the PAC’s message will transcend party affiliation.

“One of our biggest goals is to endorse candidates on both sides of an election,” Danks Burke said.

Chemung County Legislator Mark Margeson is one of the few Republicans to have received the PAC’s backing.

Margeson was endorsed in his successful 2018 bid, and ran a campaign aimed at community engagement.

“I wrote letters to Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, everybody, I sent literally 6,000 to everybody that was registered in my district,” Margeson said. “The Trailblazers thought this was very unusual because nobody had ever done that, and I was getting phone calls from Democrats thanking me for sending them a letter...I don’t believe you vote for a specific party, I think you vote for a specific person.”

His was the type of campaign Danks Burke said she wants to see more of.

“Really, a big part of what this does is it helps politicians work for us,” Danks Burke said.

12 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

DANCE

Rosalie "Daystar" JONES Using art to carry tradition forward

BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

For Rosalie “Daystar” Jones, dance has always been about exploring her Indigenous roots, mentoring others in discovering theirs, and educating non-Indigenous people about those roots.

Jones has been a dancer, choreographer, and teacher for more than 50 years, and although she has been living in the Rochester area more than 20 of them, her work here is just getting started.

“My presence in Rochester has been kind of spotty,” said Jones, who taught Indigenous studies and performance studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, from 2005 to 2017. “People didn’t really know that I was here because I was gone so much of that time.

So, I’ve been trying to do a lot of networking in the last couple of years, really. And I think that’s beginning to pay off, that people know I’m here and interested in collaborating.”

Jones has had an active and impressive career as a pioneer of what she called Native Modern Dance, which draws inspiration from Indigenous inter-tribal dance as well as the

modern dance she studied in her postgraduate days at Juilliard (where she hung out with the legendary Martha Graham).

She was born on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Her mother was Chippewa and her father was a Welsh-Canadian railroad worker who crossed the border at 18 and met her mother on the reservation.

“I think because the both of them had hard childhoods and really no opportunities for formal education, they wanted to give that to me,” Jones said. “So consequently, I was encouraged from the very beginning to get college degrees, university degrees, and pursue my own talents and ideas for my lifetime work.”

She said her heritage became the core of her creative work and the teaching she’s done over the years at different institutions. Her work is as much about education as it is about artistic expression.

“I wanted to put a spotlight on contemporary Native American dance, theater, and performance,” she said. “What is it that we will do out there on the stage,

as an expression of who we are, that will communicate not only to our own people, but also what can we teach about ourselves to others through the medium of performance?”

Her work has drawn from old narratives and her own stories about her heritage, including “Spirit Woman,” which is about individual responsibility and ecological concerns, and “Dancing the Four Directions,” which is a life’s journey story performed within a medicine wheel. In October 2018, Jones performed “No Home but the Heart” at Monroe Community College, a work that explores her family’s story through generations of women.

In 1982, two years after she founded her company, Daystar: Contemporary DanceDrama of Indian America, she danced with other Indigenous performers at “Night of the First Americans,” an arts-based fundraiser for Native Americans who wanted to study the sciences, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington. President Ronald Reagan attended. Her company has since performed

throughout the United States and Canada, and in Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Dublin, Ireland.

In April 2016, Jones was awarded the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Awards in Performing Arts by the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, where she was chair of the performing arts department in the early ‘90s.

Daystar still periodically performs and produces performances of her choreography.

But she’s also focused on cultural education, particularly lessons geared toward youth who may never have met a Native American.

This past fall, to commemorate Indigenous People’s Day, Jones did a series of presentations at city recreation centers.

“And I could tell when I went into the various centers around town that I was probably the first Native American who’d been there in who knows how long,” she said. “It’s still a stereotype, I guess, that coming through the school system we think all there is of Native Americans is in museums.” rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 13

SPORTS

Bella FANALE Playing the sports she loves, and dominating

BY DAVID ANDREATTA

Around the ice rinks, baseball diamonds, and gridirons of the Rochester youth sports circuit, one name electrifies the sidelines like none other: Bella.

Bella is Bella Fanale, a 12-year-old athlete from Webster so dominant that around the scene she has become one of those first-nameonly people, like Beyoncé or, in the world of sports, Abby.

Her name simultaneously evokes fear in her competition, relief in her teammates, and awe in spectators. “Bella” means “beautiful” in Italian — a fitting name in that watching Fanale play has been called a thing of beauty.

“When she walks into a building, everyone knows she’s there,” her hockey coach, Mike Rizzo, said. “And it doesn’t matter which sport. I’ve never seen a single player dominate a sport at any level, boys or girls, like her. She’s playing a different game than everyone else.”

Likening young athletes to legends is a dubious undertaking. The annals of sports journalism are littered with stories hyping up phenoms who never panned out. Rarely, though, does a youngster come along who, by all accounts, is exceptionally versatile in so many sports.

“You’re going to be hearing the name Bella Fanale for years to come,” her baseball coach, Brian Beachner, said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. She’s something special.”

In professional athletics, players are judged by their numbers — goals, batting averages, sacks, rebounds. Reliable statistics are hard to come by in youth sports, however. Amateur organizations tend to emphasize player development over statistical achievements. Many teams do not keep records.

Anecdotes are perhaps the best way to gauge a young player’s impact. In the case of Fanale, they abound. Consider this sampling from her coaches: There was the time last hockey season that she scored eight goals in one game, then capped off the year with five goals in her team’s 7-3 win in the state girls’ championship.

In football, she rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 25 touchdowns playing against boys. On defense, she led the team in tackles.

Her power-hitting drove her Little League baseball team to the state tournament. She was the only girl on the team and homered in the district semi-finals.

Stories like those reached Patrick Claire, who coaches junior varsity basketball at Webster Thomas High School, last summer.

They moved him to invite Fanale, who would only be entering seventh grade at Willink Middle School, to play for him in a summer tournament.

14 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

“She played against ninth- and tenthgraders and scored 75 percent of our points,” Claire said. “She did almost anything she wanted out there. She was the best athlete on the floor by far.”

It is tempting to call Fanale a natural.

But just as legendary baseballer Ted Williams used to retort when people labeled him a natural, “No one ever swung a bat more often than I did. No one practiced harder than I did,” the same could be said for Fanale.

She rises at 6:15 a.m. most days to work out for an hour before school. She jogs, does leg and abdominal exercises, and shoots pucks and dribbles a basketball.

“I hear her in the basement dribbling a basketball or in the garage shooting pucks. It’s like clockwork. Everyone else is sleeping,” said her father, Tony Fanale. “She doesn’t have to do that as a kid. But she loves it. She’s trying to get better and she’s putting in the work to do that.”

Fanale, the middle child of three sisters, said she wants to someday play hockey at the Division I and Olympic levels, then go pro.

Just don’t tell her she has a shot. She doesn’t want to hear it.

“I feel pressure when people tell me that I’m really good because I don’t know what to say to it,” Fanale said. “I’m just doing the thing I love.”

MUSIC

Dan GROSS A champion for local musicians

BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

If you’ve been to any local concerts, listened to jazz music on the radio, or watched internet videos featuring Rochester musicians in the last three years, you’ve probably caught Dan Gross at work. The majority of that work has been behind-the-scenes, but the 26-year-old journalist is getting harder and harder to miss — both as a music reporter and as a digital content reporter at News 8 WROC-TV. While his job at the television station is full-time, his career as a multimedia content creator spans several freelance gigs.

Gross hosts a Monday radio show on Jazz 90.1 from 6 to 8 p.m. each week, regularly records live concerts at Bop Shop Records, and hosts an ongoing video series highlighting Three Heads Brewing’s “Rochester Residency,” in which a different local musician curates and performs in multiple concerts each month.

“I started one thing and that led to the next thing,” he said. “But the reality is, each time I’ve gotten an opportunity, I really had to be a pest, and be very determined and hard-nosed, and basically stuck my foot in the door.”

With myriad projects percolating at any one time, Gross sets a high bar for himself. “If you’re asking what personally motivates me,” he said, “I’m just intrinsically motivated to do as much as possible, as well as possible, as fast as possible.”

But Gross’s signature contribution to music coverage in the area is his “Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight,” a roughly hour-long online show featuring a concert performance and interview from an intrepid musician or band making waves. Since he started producing and hosting the series in 2016, he has churned out nearly 80 episodes featuring everyone from singer-songwriters and jazz musicians to rock bands, Americana outfits, and soul-funk groups.

Gross is no stranger to playing music. A trombonist prior to attending

SUNY Oswego for broadcasting, he learned the upright bass from scratch while jamming with friends, and went on to get a second degree in music performance while at college.

Although a career as a professional musician wasn’t the right fit, he gravitated toward music and musicians and retained the inquisitive mindset of the student. Gross said he constantly asks himself: “Where is the opportunity? Where is a good place for me to learn?”

Indeed, the “Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight” arose from a single question he had: “What opportunity can I give someone to talk about what they do and to showcase what they do, that I didn’t have?”

“When I’m interviewing the musician, it’s all about them,” he said.

“I love seeing the joy that they put into it, and how much they care about their product, and how they love being a part of the process.”

By giving Rochester music fans the opportunity to learn more about artists who may be unfamiliar to them, Gross also learned some things about the local scene that surprised him. The series opened his ears to the sheer volume of quality Americana and folk music in the region. In the process, he fell in love with the genre.

As for the Rochester music community as a whole, Gross is impressed by its strength. “It’s competitive in a healthy way,” he said, “and it’s also very cooperative.”

No matter what direction Gross’s career as a journalist takes him, he knows he wants to continue with “Rochester Indie Musician Spotlight.”

“I want it to be the thing where people come on it, and they know they’ve made it,” he said. “They know they’ve made it in Rochester.”

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 15

ACTIVISM

Stanley MARTIN Standing up for all struggles

BY JEREMY MOULE

Activists know Stanley Martin.

In 2019, the rest of Rochester got to know her as well when she stepped into the crowded and contentious Democratic primary for City Council’s East District seat. She finished third out of five candidates, a respectable showing for a first-time, grassroots campaign.

Martin jumped into the race because of her work with the Police Accountability Board Alliance, an organization dedicated to the creation of a civilian police oversight board in Rochester with teeth.

As a leader in the alliance, she was working with a lot of people living in lowincome, and what she called “overpoliced,” neighborhoods. She grew frustrated with their day-to-day experiences and decided to run for the council as a way to serve them.

“I realized the strong power and the important role that City Council plays,” Martin said. “I think in the media generally we’re focused on the president, we’re focused on senators, we’re focused on the Assembly, but we forget that the City Council actually shapes so much of our lives here in the city.”

Right now, she doesn’t plan to run for office again. Instead, she wants to support progressive activists who are seeking state and federal office in 2020.

A growing concern over mass incarceration is what led to Martin’s role with the Police Accountability Board Alliance.

Martin moved to Rochester five years ago for a University of Rochester graduate program in mental health counseling. She got an internship as a counselor, and then a job, at the now-closed Monroe Correctional Facility.

In the two years she worked at the jail, she learned a lot about incarcerated people. She said she realized the prevailing narrative that all people who are in jail are bad and have done horrible things was flawed.

The reality is that some of them are being held on minor charges, like petit larceny. Others have untreated mental illness or substance use disorders. Some repeat offenders couldn’t find work when they were free and did something illegal to survive.

“Being in that role it just challenged everything I previously thought I knew about people who are incarcerated,” Martin said, “and it challenged me to see them as human beings just like anyone else and really do work to make sure that we are ensuring that they’re treated fairly.”

Martin now works as project director at the Center for Community Alternatives office in Rochester. The organization runs re-entry and community-based alternatives to incarceration programs. It also advocates for policies that promote those types of programs.

Through her work she also made connections in the Rochester activist community, some of which led to the creation

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of the Police Accountability Board Alliance.

Recently, the alliance scored a major victory when city voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to create a Police Accountability Board.

The organization and the city have solicited and reviewed applications to serve on the new board, which could be operational sometime next year. The police union has promised to challenge the existence of the board in court.

There were roughly 120 applications.

Martin said she did not file one.

“Other people should have an opportunity to have a say,” Martin said.

She also would like to see new people cycle into the Police Accountability Board Alliance’s leadership and wants to remain focused on the organizing side of the work.

“I don’t need to have a leadership role or title to be active in my work or to be effective,” Martin said.

Martin has some other interests she’d like to pursue, such as her involvement with the City Roots Community Land Trust. She also recently visited the West Bank and is working on ways that Rochesterians can show solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“A struggle anywhere is a struggle that other people in one place should be focused on, too,” Martin said.

DISABILITY RIGHTS

Oscar MERULLA-BONN In your corner

BY GINO FANELLI

At his parents’ Brighton home, 11-yearold Oscar Merulla-Bonn eagerly displayed a sampling of his art — bookmark-sized colored sketches of demons, muscular and vibrant creatures with tentacle-like arms and clenched claws.

“I’m really into the dark fantasy, dystopia kind of stuff,” Merulla-Bonn said.

One day, Merulla-Bonn hopes to make a living as an artist. Despite his youth, he overflows with that trait possessed by any true artist — insight. Merulla-Bonn, a disability rights activist, has set out on a mission to use his voice to advocate for others and challenge perceptions.

“Don’t judge people by what they look like,” Merulla-Bonn said. “It’s hard to explain, because sometimes you’ll see someone who’s like, ‘Oh my God, that person’s in a wheelchair, oh they’re weird.’

But they might not be. They’re probably just a normal person. I guess it’s trying to figure that out, and treat everyone like you would everybody.”

Merulla-Bonn uses a power wheelchair.

At 14 months old, he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2, a neuromuscular disease that causes severe weakness throughout the body. MerullaBonn is candid about his experiences, and said many people he encounters have good, albeit misguided, intentions.

“I think a lot of people are like, ‘I need to be nice to this person, because they’re at such a disadvantage in their lives, it’s so hard for them,’” Merulla-Bonn said. “But it’s not, and there are things you have to face as a person in a wheelchair. But if I’m an able-bodied person and I see a disabled person over there, am I going to go up and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Can I talk to you?’ But if that person was able-bodied, would I do the same thing?”

A sixth-grader at Twelve Corners Middle School, Merulla-Bonn’s condition has forced him to advocate for himself.

To that end, he has given presentations to the faculty at his school on disability rights and requested accommodations, like moving around desks to allow him to participate in a class scavenger hunt. He said most faculty are understanding and eager to listen.

In the process, he has made a name for himself in disability rights circles, and requests for him to speak keep coming.

In October, Merulla-Bonn and his family were featured on Connections with Evan Dawson on WXXI News, a media partner of CITY. In January, Merulla-Bonn is set to give a presentation on disability rights to the Society of Protection and Care of Children before 90 people expected to be in attendance.

“And they’re going to give me 50 bucks!”

Merulla-Bonn said.

Merulla-Bonn understands people make mistakes, and a key part of his message is owning mistakes.

“If somebody says something to someone else and it hurts their feelings, that person whose feelings were hurt expresses that to that person, ‘Hey, that was upsetting, could you please not do that again?’” Merulla-Bonn said. “If that person says, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’ or ‘I’m sorry you feel that,’ it’s really annoying, in general, because they’re not accepting they did anything wrong, they’re just making themselves feel good.”

Merulla-Bonn’s experience with selfadvocacy has ultimately brought him to a universal and timeless message — everyone can always use someone in their corner.

His parents, Sally Bittner Bonn and David Merulla, said Merulla-Bonn is quick to stand up against injustice, be it classmates being bullied or racism or some other form.

“I think some kids can’t really face stuff like that,” Merulla-Bonn said. “So when other people help out, it’s just good.”

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 17

PERFORMING ARTS

J. SIMMONS

An actor mending, and breaking down, fences

BY DAVID ANDREATTA

There are hundreds of actors working in Rochester. But few of them are “working actors,” those whose steady presence on stage and screen, and behind the scenes, pays the bills and feeds the soul.

One of them is J. Simmons.

If you frequent community theatre, you should be familiar with Simmons. In the last two years alone, he has directed six stage productions and performed in 15, captivating audiences with intense and idiosyncratic roles, from the seductive Juan Julian in “Anna in the Tropics” to an ophidian stamp collector in “Mauritius.”

But even non-theatregoers may recognize Simmons — or his distinctive baritone — from his ubiquitous commercial and voiceover work. He has appeared in television and internet ads and training videos for insurance companies, gas stations, golf courses, you name it.

“It’s all acting,” as Simmons said recently over a bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant breakfast at Spot Coffee on East Avenue in Rochester.

As a side gig, Simmons teaches acting lessons and choreographs fight scenes as a stage combat coach. His fight choreography for a recent National Technical Institute for the Deaf-Rochester Institute of Technology production of August Wilson’s “Fences” was recently recognized by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

“If you’re going to be an actor you can’t say I’m only going to do theatre,” Simmons said. “You’ve got to do everything.”

Simmons, 37, has done a little bit of everything. His resume, as he tells it, includes stints as a traveling tea salesman, a night club host in Las Vegas, a recruiter for a window company, and a porn shop manager in New York City.

The common thread through all of them, he said, was his ability to act the part, to move easily between the sophisticated, the seedy, and the up-all-night and sweaty.

18 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

His latest role of working actor in Rochester, however, is one Simmons has been training for all his life. The role requires him, a black actor, to move easily in a local theatre scene dominated by casts and audiences of white people.

“This theatre scene that we have here has a giant fence going through it,” Simmons said. “It’s not set up by anybody intentionally, but it is there. It is there because there are not a lot of black shows that happen, so a lot of black actors don’t think there’s opportunity.

“But at the same time, when there are black shows that are offered, black people don’t attend them. So it perpetuates itself.”

A case in point, he said, was “Detroit ’67,” which Simmons directed for Blackfriars Theatre in October. The show, set against the backdrop of the 1967 race riots in Detroit, featured a predominantly black cast and received good reviews, but played to relatively small houses.

Born in Rochester to a 14-year-old mother, Simmons was raised from infancy by the instructor of his biological mother’s Head Start program, a middle-aged white woman.

He grew up Johnnie Simmons on Alpine Street across from Highland Park, attended the prestigious Harley School, and traveled. Simmons recalled an impromptu vacation he and his adoptive mother took to Newfoundland one spring.

But he also spent a lot of time in his youth with his biological mother and the two sons she later had. Simmons, who now makes his home in Penfield with his girlfriend and her two sons, said his childhood was like straddling two worlds.

Simmons began acting at a young age, doing plays and touring musicals — opportunities he said he would have never gotten without his upbringing. He fasttracked through high school, graduating at 16, and studied musical theatre at SUNY Fredonia.

“My dream is to be a working actor,” Simmons said. “I just want to make money doing what I was put on this planet for.”

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER

Jeremy TJHUNG Making change through connection

BY REBECCA RAFFERTY

If Jeremy Tjhung has learned anything after a year and a half of immersing himself in Rochester’s politically-engaged crowds, it’s that smart activism is about efficacy and usefulness.

Since arriving in Rochester in 2018, he’s been a fixture at protests and community actions, and has worked with a variety of artists and community groups to boost voter registration.

“A lot of what I do is not skilled or experienced volunteering and organizing,” he said. “I show up and do whatever they ask me to do — phone calls or knocking on doors or stuffing envelopes, whatever it is they need me to do, I’ll do.”

Tjhung recalled growing up in Akron, New York, the only gay Asian kid in town.

He moved to New York City where he enjoyed a career in fashion and retail.

But after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, he resolved to get involved in the fight against gun violence. Seeking to channel his feelings of anxiety and despair into something productive, he joined the grassroots organization, Gays Against Guns.

He said he moved to Rochester because he saw in it the potential to have

a greater impact, bolstering progressives in a conservative region.

He became involved with the local chapter of Moms Demand Action, a national organization that pushes stronger gun laws, and approached Wall\Therapy about working with the group on a gun violence-themed mural. The result was Brittany Williams’s painting of a young man on a wall at Rocky’s Pizza, titled “Through Tragedy, There’s Hope.”

Tjhung also volunteers with the Coalition to End Gun Violence, and is an active member of the local chapter of Indivisible, which works year-round to increase voter registration.

“I really respect the fact that they found a channel for people to put all of their energy and their rage and their dissatisfaction,” Tjhung said. “It’s one of those things where you get a quantifiable sense of accomplishment when you leave, say, MCC and you’ve got a fat stack of voter registrations.”

He figures he has registered more than 200 people since September of 2019, and plans to continue this push in 2020, focusing on college campuses.

In July, he led a group art-making project as part of “Depatriarchalizing Women/Femmes Bodies,” an event in the “At the Crossroads: Activating the Intersection of Art and Justice” series held on the grounds of Planned Parenthood in Rochester. He was also a guest programmer for the Memorial Art Gallery’s pre-Pride events and sits on the committee for the museum’s coming AIDS poster project. Tjhung will speak on January 23 in The MAG’s Passion Projects lecture series.

After a flurry of actions and protests, Tjhung said he wants to focus more on connecting with individual people.

“If we can get 300 people in Washington Square Park together, chances are we already know each other,” Tjhung said. “Chances are, we’re already on the same team. But it’s going out and having these little interactions with people oneon-one that are not there for the purpose of demonstrating their dissatisfaction, that means more.”

Tjhung is also interested in finding effective ways to convey the importance of local elections to young adults, and said he

intends to be a regular at monthly meetings of the Monroe County Legislature.

“What I do know is that the Republicans in the County Legislature need to be watched like hawks,” Tjhung said. “So I’m looking forward to the second Tuesday of every month. I’ll be there to clap or hiss or whatever so that they know that the public is watching them.”

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 19

Upcoming

Music

[ R&B ] Brian McKnight Friday, February 14. The Vine at Del Lago Resort. 1133 State Rte. 414, Waterloo. $25-$110.

Ages 21 and over. 8 p.m. 315-946-1777. dellagoresort.com/entertainment; mcknight360.com. [ ROCK ] David Crosby and The Sky Trails Band Tuesday, June 16. Smith Opera House. 82 Seneca Street, Geneva. Reserved seating $45, $55, $75. VIP $225, $575.

8 p.m. 315-781-5483. thesmith.org; davidcrosby.com.

Lost Wax Collective

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28 JACKRABBIT CLUB, 40 ANDERSON AVENUE 9:30 P.M. | $5 | RESTAURANTGOODLUCK.COM/JACK-RABBIT FACEBOOK.COM/LOSTWAXCOLLECTIVE [ PROGRESSIVE SOUL ] As its name suggests, Lost

Wax Collective is a coterie of various smooth-grooving musicians who play fluidly between the genres of soul, jazz, R&B, and funk. Anchored by the rhythm section of drummer Brendon Caroselli and bassist Hassan Zaman (a contributing writer to CITY), this Rochester band specializes in intricate yet danceable rhythmic interplay, warm harmonic timbres, and a slow jam delivery that’s undeniably catchy— as demonstrated on its 2017 debut album, “Blue Spark.” With technical precision and plenty of understated swagger, Lost Wax Collective plays music to get lost in.

— BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

The Boyd Parker Ambush FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27 ABILENE BAR & LOUNGE, 153 LIBERTY POLE WAY 9 P.M. | $5 | ABILENEBARANDLOUNGE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/BOYDPARKERAMBUSH [ AMERICANA ] Singer-songwriter Nick Young burns

hot. You could even say he burns daylight. With The Boyd Parker Ambush, Young mixes up originals with covers that course through the troubadour vein. There’s a lot of weight swinging in there, from Johnny to Townes to Merle, dancing in there along with plenty of Nick.

Honest, intense, and bona fide.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

PHOTO PROVIDED

Open

NEW YEAR’S EVE 11:30am to 10pm

& NEW YEAR’S 2pm to 9pm

DAY

274 North Goodman Street in Village Gate thegatehousecafe.com • 473-2090 20 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

[ ALBUM REVIEWS ]

[ THU., DECEMBER 26 ]

The DIVA Jazz Orchestra

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

The Archive Ravens. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 2323230. 7:30 p.m. $5.

‘Diva & The Boys’ MCG jazz divajazz.com

Sole Rehab TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 THE PLAYHOUSE/SWILLBURGER, 820 SOUTH CLINTON AVENUE 9 P.M. | NO COVER | THEPLAYHOUSEROC.COM FACEBOOK.COM/SOLEREHABROC [ ELECTRONIC-DANCE ] Sole Rehab has been incubating its

luminous project for years, offering house and disco soundtracks in decidedly inclusive environments around Rochester and the surrounding region. The local collective is best known for curating party environments, hosting a variety of disc jockeys who spin electro-club-inspired tracks live, which are sometimes accompanied by visuals. With a couple floors of arcade games at The Playhouse and no cover charge, this event a sound opportunity among the slew of arts & entertainment options this New Year’s Eve.

— BY HASSAN ZAMAN

On “Diva & The Boys,” the all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra gives four male musicians a chance to show their stuff. They do not disappoint.

Clarinetist Ken Peplowski rips through tunes like Benny Goodman’s “Slipped Disc,” exchanging intertwining solos with Diva clarinetist Janelle Reichman. Jay Ashby plays a gorgeous trombone solo on his own arrangement of Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins’ “Noturna.” Claudio Roditi shines on the rarely heard piccolo trumpet on his own “Piccolo Blues,” and Marty Ashby adds his deft guitar to several tunes.

Sherrie Maricle expertly leads this tight unit through eight gorgeous arrangements. Saxophonists Scheila Gonzalez, Roxy Coss, Leigh Pilzer and Alexa Tarantino are excellent on solos and ensemble work. Trumpeter Jami Dauber, pianist Tomoko Ohno, and trombonist Jen Krupa are also first-rate throughout.

— BY RON NETSKY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26 BUG JAR, 219 MONROE AVENUE 9 P.M. | $5 | AGES 18 AND OVER | BUGJAR.COM THEBADDREAMERS.BANDCAMP.COM [ SYNTH-POP ] Known for balancing a grim personal aesthetic

with ironically bright electronic arrangements, The Bad Dreamers is the synth-wave brainchild of sought-after producer David Schuler. Based in Los Angeles, The Bad Dreamers recently released its newest single, “Georgetown,” a haunting observation of characters in “The Exorcist.” The Bad Dreamers’ highly anticipated sophomore album is set to be released in 2020. Imagine a fog machine with flashing lights in a dark nightclub, echoed by washed out vocal trails and danceable retro-pop grooves. Schuler has a deep but tender vocal delivery, and the densely layered soundscapes have a nostalgic quality. Jacob Asher and Boy Jr. are also on the bill.

Samuel Torres

— BY RON NETSKY

COUNTRY

Alyssa Trahan Band. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 7 p.m.

JAZZ

Mel Henderson & Joe Chiappone Jazz Duo. Via

Distillery, 111 Parce Ave Suite 5b. Fairport. 7 p.m.

The Bad Dreamers, Jacob Asher, Boy Jr. Bug Jar, 219

Monroe Ave. bugjar.com.

9 p.m. $5.

SEASONAL

Christmas Carol Sing-Along.

Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 7 p.m.

[ FRI., DECEMBER 27 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK Diamond & Steele. Via Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford. 641-0340.

7 p.m. continues on page 26

Volunteers Needed e-cigarette users 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.

319-4314 | getcakedroc.com | Inside Village Gate

Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St. 244-1210. Last Thursday of every month, 5 p.m. With Genesee Johnny.

POP/ROCK

Colombian percussionist extraordinaire Samuel Torres has worked with Tito Puente, Paquito D’Rivera, Chick Corea, Angelique Kidjo, and many others. Now living in Queens, Torres has just released one of the most ebullient albums of recent years. “Alegria” is brimming with vibrant Colombian and African rhythms, as well as infectious horn lines. Not only is Torres a virtuosic percussionist — playing congas, cajón, talking drum, kalimba (thumb piano), and much more — he wrote and arranged all eight of the album’s wonderfully evocative compositions.

The album is also a showcase for Latin folkloric music and other traditions, featuring diverse forms, including Cuban descarga, Afro-Peruvian landó, Colombian and Ecuadorian bambuco, salsa choke, and more.

Earn $100 by participating in our study!

(tradi (traditional, vegan or gluten-free!) glu

BLUES

Son House Night. Record

Anonymous Willpower, Jerry Falzone. Iron Smoke

— BY KATIE HALLIGAN

Start the New Year off On a Sweet Note!

With GET CAKED G Goodies!

Shop Records, 1460 Monroe Ave. 271-3354. 8 p.m. $15.

Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford. 641-0340.

7 p.m.

‘Alegria’ Blue Conga Music samueltorres.com

The Bad Dreamers

Mikaela Davis, Greg Townson, Cammy Enaharo, Ben & Katie Morey. Bop

Contact Call our Research Coordinator 585-224-6308 If you are interested or if you have questions.

Thank you!

e! l a t a N n o u B Anno Nuovo!

Felice

ant & Bar

Italian Restaur

Make your reservations now for

New Year’s Eve Dinner!

Serving a condensed dinner menu, plus specials • 4pm-10pm

Please call or email for reservations: 585-385-8565 | info@lemoncello137.com 137 West Commercial Street, Street East Rochester • B Boutique ti

Style St l Italian Restaurant

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 21

22 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 23

Music

Seth Faergolzia’s Multibird — (left to right) Emily DiPaola, Luke Cornwell, Shaun Jones, and Faergolzia — head out for a 31-show European tour in January.

PHOTO BY GRACE WALKER

Sharing the muse Seth Faergolzia’s Multibird NEW YEAR’S ALBUM RELEASE TOUR SENDOFF EXTRAVAGANZA WITH PAXTOR AND HALEY DAYIS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 SKYLARK LOUNGE, 40 SOUTH UNION STREET 8 P.M. LISTENING PARTY; LIVE MUSIC AT 9 P.M. $7 | 270-8106 | THESKYLARKLOUNGE.COM FAERGOLZIA.COM [ FEATURE ] BY FRANK DE BLASE

Seth Faergolzia’s Multibird is a magnificent, multi-genre-defying, multi-genre-defining operation. It is odd and it is contrarian. Every style and subgenre this quartet leans into could be more easily understood if they were prefixed with the words “anti-” or “freak,” or if those adjectives were treated more as actual genres.

Faergolzia, who wields the baton at the heart of this oddball parade, is a boisterous, gentle giant who does a bit of everything.

When we sat down and talked with Faergolzia back in 2018, he was working on a puppet play, a project where he challenged himself to write 100 songs. Multibird was also coming into its own, standing in sharp contrast from his other, much larger band, 23 Psaegz.

Multibird — Faergolzia on acoustic guitar, vocals, and loops, Emily DiPaola on trumpet, drums, and vocals, Shaun Jones on electric guitar, drums, and vocals, and Luke Cornwell on bass, drums, and vocals — just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign and is finally releasing its long-awaited, selftitled debut album.

The band members are also preparing to leave on a five-week tour of Europe that will take them to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Their bags are packed.

The band is a soundtrack to a kaleidoscope, and Faergolzia is jazzed about the dynamic changes going on in Multibird’s sound.

“The band has changed since we recorded the album actually,” he says. “It’s a very different dynamic. The first lineup felt kind of like four buddies and this lineup feels like family, if that makes any sense. This new album feels like everyone’s all in.”

Now he’s not the only one working until they’ve got it right. Now it’s their muse as well. As proof, Faergolzia says, they have got four fully collaborative tunes together now that they plan on recording right after they return from Europe.

24 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

The new Multibird album was recorded at Black Dog Recording Studios in Rochester and John Kilgore Sound & Recording in New York City. Some of the songs generated by Faergolzia’s 100 songs project wound up on the new album.

The songs on this eponymous release each possess their own beauty, and Faergolzia’s epiglottal push adds curiosity, quirk, and drama to each one of them. Both studios rolled with this dynamic weirdness and the band’s oddball take, what with its dynamic twists and its non-conventional roll. This focus, according to Faergolzia, really mattered to the band.

“I think the studio is really important,” he says. “You need a comfortable climate for the engineer and musicians to have a good rapport. We recorded this album kind of live with the four core musicians.”

The core musicians also had added duties.

“Once we lost our drummer, Dominic Marini, guitarist Shaun Jones started playing kick and snare with his feet, sort of one-manbanding it,” says Faergolzia. “And I’m adding more loops with my voice. And our bassist and trumpet player, they also play drums.

We don’t have a drummer, but we have three people playing drums.”

And one playing jaw harp.

“Shaun Jones is obsessively playing the jaw harp,” says Faergolzia. “He’s started making them, too. He’s starting his own jaw harp company. So we’ve got a couple of jaw harp tunes.”

The instrumentation is clearly gonzoeclectic. And according to Faergolzia, so is the writing. There ain’t a formula.

“As far as my writing goes, I try to stay in a semi-dream state,” he says. “I don’t like to think too consciously about my work. If I start overthinking it, I might finish it out, then abandon it. It’s really important, too, for me to follow through. But a formula?

Throwing in a dash of this, a dash of that... I don’t really follow a specific way. I guess you can tell that from the variety of songs; I like to speak multiple languages. I try not to think about it. I just let it go. I appreciate all music if it’s of good quality.”

It’s while talking with Faergolzia that you remember the puppets; this guy still has a puppet opera on deck. What gives?

“Yes, they exist,” Faergolzia says. “I just need the music. I’ve come to a point where I need to record the audio. I need to hire musicians. It’s written for 15 people. It’s about transformation and growth — it’s constantly changing. It’s poetry; free association, streamof-consciousness poetry. So I took that and assigned seven characters to it.”

First he did paintings of the characters.

“Then I took all the lyrics from the poetry, and I sat in the woods every day the whole summer and wrote a synopsis with those characters. The poetry tied the whole story together.”

As we speak, Faergolzia is working on a cluster of quieter songs, gentler songs, as well as a one-off album with stars of local acoustic music.

“Record the album, play one show, and that’s it,” he says. “It’s all freedom through art.

We’re physically restricted. Our bodies can’t do everything we want to do. We’re financially restricted. All these restrictions on us, but our minds are able to be free. You can meditate.

Art is the means I find my freedom and trying to help others achieve that state.”

Frank De Blase is CITY’s music writer. He can be reached at frank@rochester-citynews.com.

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 25

Music

cont. from page 21

Kwanzaa at the MAG

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ARTIST

In celebration [ COMMENTARY ] BY JEFF SPEVAK

Richard Thompson Songbook Tribute Show

This seems to be tribute season in Rochester.

The next musician to get the treatment from local musicians is perhaps lesser-known than Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell, but no less worthy: Richard Thompson, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, at Abilene Bar & Lounge, 153 Liberty Pole Way. Thompson first emerged as a member of the ultra-important English folk band Fairport Convention, and has since produced a catalog of stunning beauty.

The Richard Thompson Songbook Band is Adam Wilcox, Dan Ward, David Bretz, John Kelley, and Steve Piper, plus special guests.

The bulk of the show will be drawn from Thompson’s earlier period, so let’s hope for “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,” “Tear-Stained Letter,” “Dimming of the Day,” and the perfect motorcycle crime drama, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.”

That show is free, but what follows at 9:30 p.m. should be interesting: The return of Spooky & The Truth, with a new album whose title gives away the game: “City Folk.”

It’s like The Band’s “Music from Big Pink,” if Big Pink were an apartment building in Pittsburgh. Tickets ($10 advance, $15 the day of the show) are available at the club and abilenebarandlounge.com.

As Delores Jackson Radney looks at Black Art, she sees how “All social issues, especially for African-American artists, are always present in the work itself.”

Radney will be one of the Kwanzaa Celebration speakers on Sunday, December 29, at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue. It begins at 5:30 p.m. with the opportunity to meet artists Mattie Alleyne, Omobowale Aryendi, Athesia Benjamin, Paulette Davis, Sherry Davis, Richmond Futch, Frances Hare, Hakim Hudson, Dewayne James, and Yadquib Shabazz,.That’s followed in quick succession by Radney’s talk on the history of Black Art. Aryendi will speak about the Black Arts Movement of 1965-75, an important driver of art, literature, and activism.

And Terry Chaka, David and Gaya Shakes, and Luvon Sheppard will discuss collecting and investing in Black Art. In exploring Black Arts, Radney finds many layers. Most of these groups, such as New York City’s Black Arts Movement, were not limited to painting. “Absolutely, it was a whole arts movement,” Radney says. “So there was literature, there was theater, there was music, and then also the painting.” The paintings, she says, “were probably the thing we know the least about in general. We read the people, we read our literary artists, we listen to our music, so this is kind of the unknown for most people in terms of culture.”

The MAG collection has examples of some of these works, such as Jacob Lawrence’s series of 22 prints telling the story of abolitionist John Brown, and art by Kehinde Wiley, best known for his portrait of President Barack Obama that hangs in the Smithsonian. Wiley’s work typically fuses contemporary street subjects and Renaissance-era surroundings; the MAG’s Wiley piece is called “After Memling’s Portrait of a Man with a Letter.”

Also to be considered is the Graffiti Arts Movement, encompassing Black and Latino artists, Radney says, which in turn evolved into “kind of a public art movement, especially here, when they started doing wall therapy around town.”

The celebration should wrap up at about 8 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $5 per group.

Jeff Spevak is WXXI’s arts & life editor and reporter. He can be reached at jspevak@wxxi.org.

ACROSS t H E UN I V ERSE is Jeff Spevak’s

weekly arts column. To read more, visit rochestercitynewspaper.com.

26 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Mike & Julie Duo. Sager Beer Works, 46 Sager Dr Suite E. 245-3006. 7:30 p.m.

Old World Warblers. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

8 p.m.

Old World Warblers, The Forest Dwellers. Temple Bar &

Grille, 109 East Ave. 232-6000.

9 p.m.

Suzy & Niki. Greenhouse Café, 2271 E. Main St. 270-8603.

7 p.m.

AMERICANA

Head to the Roots. Fairport

Brewing Co., 1044 University Ave. 481-2237. 8 p.m.

COUNTRY

The Boyd Parker Ambush.

Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 9 p.m. $5.

JAZZ

Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Jazz Duo. Charley Brown’s, 1675 Penfield Rd. 385-9202.

7:30 p.m.

HIP-HOP/RAP

Riff Raff. ONE Nightclub &

Lounge, 1 Ryan Alley.

546-1010. 9 p.m. $15/$20.

JAM BAND

The Honey Smugglers. Three

Heads Brewing, 186 Atlantic Ave. 244-1224. 8 p.m. $10.

The Old Souls Band.

Mulconry’s Irish Pub, 17 E Liftbridge Ln. Fairport.

678-4516. 8 p.m.

METAL

Sulaco, Clibbus, Short Attention Span Theatre. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. 10 p.m.

POP/ROCK

Alex Goettel. Lovin’ Cup,

300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. 8 p.m.

The Angle. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 5:30 p.m.

Applejack, AJ Tetzlaff.

Firehouse Saloon, 814 S. Clinton Ave. 319-3832.

9:30 p.m. $5.

Bad Habit. Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. Henrietta.

334-3030. 9 p.m.

Brian Lindsay Band. Murph’s Irondequoit Pub, 155 Pattonwood Dr. 342-6780.

5 p.m.

Dave Riccioni & Friends. M’s 4300 Bar & Grill, 4300 Culver Road. 467-2750. Last Friday of every month, 6-9 p.m.

Matt Stephens. Marge’s Lakeside Inn, 4909 Culver Rd. 323-1020. 5 p.m.

PHOTO BY MIKE TURZANKSI

ROCK | OVERHAND SAM & BAD WEAPON

Attention has been focused in part on guitarist Overhand Sam’s approach to his instrument. But I urge you, that even though he positions his left hand unconventionally over the top of his guitar’s neck, it’s what he emits from his guitar that is extraordinary. Listening to him perform Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” was intense, except that Snyder offers up some commanding psychedelia instead of playing the role of sexpot supplicant.

I’ve had the good fortune of catching Overhand Sam live in the bands Maybird and Anamon, and now he and his group Bad Weapon will be ringing in the new year.

Overhand Sam and Bad Weapon play with special guests Mikaela Davis, Josh Netsky of Maybird, Cammy Enaharo, Anamon, Beef Gordon, Yarms, and Boy. Jr. on Tuesday, December 31, 10 p.m. at Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road. $10. Ages 21 and over. 244-1484. radio-social.com; overhandsam.com.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

The Mighty High & Dry Assembly. Lux Lounge, 666

South Ave. lux666.com.

9 p.m. $5.

Mr Monkey. Dinosaur BBQ, 99 Court St. 325-7090. 10 p.m.

Rock-it-Science. Argyle Grill, 4344 Nine Mile Pt Rd. 377-5200. 7:30 p.m.

Ross Bracco. Record Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St. 244-1210. 4-7 p.m.

Sing Us a Song: Jason O’s Jukebox. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, 20 Windsor St. 325-4370. 8 p.m. $30.

Something Else. Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745. 10 p.m. $5.

SEASONAL

[ SAT., DECEMBER 28 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Richard Thompson Songbook Band. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 7 p.m.

Shakespeare & O’Brien.

B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane.

Fairport. 315-3003. 5-7 p.m.

AMERICANA Mystic Stew. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 8 p.m.

Spooky & The Truth. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 2323230. 9:30 p.m. $10/$15.

Woody Dodge. Three Heads Brewing, 186 Atlantic Ave. 244-1224. 8 p.m. $5.

Chet Catallo & The Cats. Sticky

Lips, 830 Jefferson Rd. 292-5544. 9 p.m.

The Chinchillas Rock & Roll Holiday Show. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 8 p.m.

BLUES

The Gabe Stillman Band.

Fanatics, 7281 W Main St. Lima. 624-2080. 7 p.m. $15.

COUNTRY

TRADITIONAL Celtic Soul. Fanatics, 7281 W Main St. Lima. 624-2080.

7 p.m.

Highway 31. Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. Henrietta.

334-3030. 9 p.m.

JAZZ

POP/ROCK

Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Jazz Duo. Charley Brown’s,

Sing Us a Song: Jason O’s Jukebox. Downstairs Cabaret

1675 Penfield Rd. 385-9202.

7:30 p.m.

Lost Wax Collective. Jack Rabbit Club, 40 Anderson Ave. 340-6161. 9:30 p.m. $5.

The New Novelties. Via Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford. 6410340. facebook.com/ events/2504556789591463/.

7 p.m.

The White Hots. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 8 p.m.

Theatre, 20 Windsor St. 325-4370. 3 p.m. $30.

SEASONAL

Christmas Carol Sing with Tim Schramm. Two Saints Church,

17 S Fitzhugh St. 546-7730.

5 p.m. Cookie reception follows.

Christmas with the King.

Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. kodakcenter.com. 2 p.m. $25/$35.

VOCALS

JAM BAND

Flying Boxcar. Sager Beer

Works, 46 Sager Dr Suite E. 245-3006. 7:30 p.m.

METAL

The Lucifer Device, Elusive Travel, Mortimer, Zerofox. Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. 9 p.m.

POP/ROCK

Double Trouble. The Angry Goat Pub, 938 Clinton Ave. 413-1125. 10 p.m.

Eternity. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. 7 p.m. $6.

Hollowell, Black Creek.

Pineapple Jack’s, 485 Spencerport Rd. Gates.

247-5225. 9 p.m. $5.

House of Zeppelin. Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745. 8 p.m. $10/$15.

Joe Fornieri & Friends. Fairport Brewing Co., 1044 University Ave. 481-2237. 8 p.m.

Johnny Rawls & The Love Machine. Dinosaur BBQ, 99

Court St. 325-7090. 10 p.m.

Sing Us a Song: Jason O’s Jukebox. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, 20 Windsor St. 325-4370. 8 p.m. $30.

SEASONAL

Christmas with the King.

Kodak Center, 200 W. Ridge Rd. kodakcenter.com.

7:30 p.m. $25/$35.

VOCALS

Raise Your Glass II: Celebrate Good Times!. JCC Hart Theatre,

1200 Edgewood Ave. 4612000. 8 p.m. $20-$33.

[ SUN., DECEMBER 29 ] CLASSICAL Compline. Christ Church, 141 East Ave. 454-3878.

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

Raise Your Glass II: Celebrate Good Times!. JCC Hart Theatre,

1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 2 p.m. $20-$33.

[ MON., DECEMBER 30 ] AMERICANA

Watkins & the Rapiers. Little

Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

CLASSICAL

Opera Ithaca: Cendrillon.

Smith Opera House, 82 Seneca St. Geneva. thesmith.org.

8 p.m. $27.50.

NOISE/EXPERIMENTAL

Spontaneous Eruption: Last Noise Show Of The Decade.

Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. 9 p.m. $5.

TRADITIONAL

Celtic Music Night. Temple Bar & Grille, 109 East Ave. 232-6000. 6 p.m.

Hellweek: New Year’s Evil.

Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. $10.

Johnny Rawls & The Love Machine, Griffith & Martino.

The Riviera, 4 Center St., Geneseo. 481-0036. Tue., Dec. 31, 7 p.m. $30.

JunkYardFieldTrip. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m. $15.

Multibird, Paxtor, Hayley Dayis. Skylark Lounge, 40

South Union St. 270-8106.

Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m.

Overhand Sam & Bad Weapon, Mikaela Davis, Josh Netsky, Cammy Enaharo, Anamon, Beef Gordon, Yarms, Boy Jr. Radio Social, 20 Carlson Road.

Tue., Dec. 31, 10 p.m. $10.

Raise Your Glass II: Celebrate Good Times!. JCC

Hart Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. Tue., Dec. 31, 7 p.m. $20-$33.

Sexy Teenagers, 1916, Lucky33 , Jamie Veins & The Quick Fix. Firehouse Saloon,

814 S. Clinton Ave. 319-3832.

Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m. $5.

Sing Us a Song: Jason O’s Jukebox. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, 20 Windsor St. 325-4370. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. $30.

[ TUE., DECEMBER 31 ]

Sole Rehab. The Playhouse/ Swillburger, 820 Clinton Ave S. theplayhouseroc.com. Tue., Dec. 31, 9 p.m.

AMERICANA

[ THU., JANUARY 2 ]

Bluegrass Tuesdays. The

Angry Goat Pub, 938 Clinton Ave. 413-1125. 8 p.m.

JAZZ

Bob Sneider Trio. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

Gray Quartet Jazz Sessions.

The Spirit Room, 139 State St. 397-7595. 7:30 p.m. $5.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

ACOUSTIC/FOLK Drey & Phriends. Via Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford.

641-0340. 7 p.m.

Jeff Riales & Friends. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 7:30 p.m.

JAZZ

Laura Dubin Trio. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 7 p.m.

Border Town, Alyssa Trahan.

Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. Henrietta. 334-3030.

Tue., Dec. 31. $10-$25.

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Kevin Kinsella, Jack West, The Frank White Experience. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-1964. Tue., Dec. 31, 8 p.m. $30.

POP/ROCK

Blue Envy. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge

Lane. Fairport. 315-3003.

7 p.m.

The Seven Wonders. Three Heads Brewing, 186 Atlantic Ave. 244-1224. 8 p.m.

Fleetwood Mac tribute. $20. continues on page 28

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 27

CATERING: LET US HELP! Corporate events

cont. from page 27

[ FRI., JANUARY 3 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Bob Spiegel, Amy Collins, Rick Palumbo. Greenhouse

Family gatherings

Café, 2271 E. Main St. 270-8603. 7 p.m.

Mike Pappert. Via Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford. 641-0340. 7 p.m.

Birthday, anniversary & holiday parties

AMERICANA

Jackson Cavalier. Sager Beer

Bridal & baby showers

Works, 46 Sager Dr Suite E. 245-3006. 7:30 p.m.

Retirements

BLUES

Griffith & Martino. Fanatics,

Surprise parties

7281 W Main St. Lima.

624-2080. 7 p.m.

Reverend Kingfish. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 8 p.m.

[ SAT., JANUARY 4 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK Chris Bethmann. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 5-7 p.m.

Steve Bartolotto. The Angry Goat Pub, 938 Clinton Ave. 413-1125. 10 p.m.

Two by Four. Fairport Brewing Co., 99 S Main St. Fairport.

678-6728. 7 p.m.

Ukulele Sing & Strum. Central Library, Kusler-Cox Auditorium, 115 South Ave. 428-8380. First Saturday of every month, 10:15 a.m.

AMERICANA

Folksfaces, Aaron Lipp & The Slack Tones. Flour City Station,

170 East Ave. 413-5745.

9 p.m. $7/$10.

BLUES

Cotton Toe Three. Sager Beer

Private events available Sundays by reservation.

Please call (585) 454-1996 rocthevesper@gmail.com 1 Capron Street (Tucked behind Geva Theatre) rocthevesper.com

JAZZ

Andrew DelNagro Quartet.

B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane.

Fairport. 315-3003. 5-7 p.m.

Works, 46 Sager Dr Suite E. 245-3006. 7:30 p.m.

Steve Grills & The Roadmasters. Little Café, 240

1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 8 p.m. $20-$33.

[ SUN., JANUARY 5 ] CLASSICAL

Candlelight Concert. Christ

Church, 141 East Ave. 4543878. First Sunday of every month, 8:30 p.m. Benjamin Henderson, organ.

Classical Guitar Night. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

Compline. Christ Church, 141 East Ave. 454-3878.

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

Opera Guild of Rochester: Beat the Blahs. Temple B’rith

Kodesh, 2131 Elmwood Ave. 385-6971. 1 p.m. “Andrea Chenier,” introduced by David Dean. Screening & docent talk series. $10.

East Ave. 258-0400. 8 p.m.

VOCALS

1675 Penfield Rd. 385-9202.

7:30 p.m.

The Freedom Trio. Three Heads Brewing, 186 Atlantic Ave. 244-1224. 8 p.m. $5.

CLASSICAL

Raise Your Glass II: Celebrate Good Times!. JCC Hart Theatre,

Hochstein Alumni Orchestra.

Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 N Plymouth Ave. hochstein.org. 8 p.m.

1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 2 p.m. $20-$33.

FUNK/GROOVE

JAZZ

JAZZ

Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Jazz Duo. Charley Brown’s,

The English Project. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 9:30 p.m. $5.

JAM BAND

Head To The Roots, Kissin Whiskey. Temple Bar & Grille, 109 East Ave. 232-6000. 9 p.m.

The Annie Wells Trio. Via

Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford. 641-0340. 7 p.m.

Fred Costello & Roger Eckers Jazz Duo. Charley Brown’s, 1675 Penfield Rd. 385-9202.

7:30 p.m.

Banned From The Tavern.

B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane.

Fairport. 315-3003. 8 p.m.

The Dean’s List. Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. Henrietta. 334-3030. 9 p.m.

The Standby, The Joke’s On Us, Sedai, The Results. Bug

Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230.

9 p.m. $5.

John Payton Project. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 8 p.m.

The Old Souls Band. Fairport Brewing Co., 1044 University Ave. 481-2237. 8 p.m.

POP/ROCK Brass Taxi. Iron Smoke Distillery, 111 Parce Ave Suite 5b. Fairport. 8:30 p.m. $5.

R&B/ SOUL

Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. 8 p.m. $7.

153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 5:30 p.m.

SKA

Ring in Ska Year: Turkey Blaster Omega, Some Ska Band. Flour City Station, 170

East Ave. 413-5745. 7 p.m. $5.

Bossa Nova Bradley Brothers.

Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 7 p.m.

[ TUE., JANUARY 7 ] Bluegrass Tuesdays. The Angry Goat Pub, 938 Clinton Ave. 413-1125. 8 p.m.

CLASSICAL

Tuesday Pipes.. Christ Church, 141 East Ave. 454-3878. 12:10 p.m. Lunchtime concerts by Eastman organists.

JAZZ

Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. 9 p.m. $5.

Todd Bradley. Record Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St. 244-1210. 4-7 p.m.

Latriste & Frequency. Abilene,

[ MON., JANUARY 6 ]

AMERICANA JAM BAND

Delilah Jones. Abilene, 153

POP/ROCK

28 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

VOCALS

Raise Your Glass II: Celebrate Good Times!. JCC Hart Theatre,

Dangerbyrd, Pine Fever, The Freejays, RockHouse Riot. Bug Wright by Your Side: ZBTB, Big Eyed Phish, Dial Up The 90s. Anthology, 336 East Ave. 484-1964. 7:30 p.m. In memory of Manny Ortiz.

Gray Quartet Jazz Sessions.

The Spirit Room, 139 State St. 397-7595. 7:30 p.m. $5.

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 29

Theater

Buyi Zama as Rafiki in “The Lion King,” currently being staged at The Auditorium Theatre. ©DISNEY PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER Inset: Gerald Ramsey as Mufasa. ©DISNEY PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

Circle of life “The Lion King” REVIEWED FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20 CONTINUES THROUGH JANUARY 5 AUDITORIUM THEATRE, 885 EAST MAIN STREET TICKETS START AT $38 | RBTL.ORG [ REVIEW ] BY LEAH STACY

At 8 p.m. on a Friday night in December, just a few days before Christmas, hundreds of children excitedly settled into folding velvet seats at the Auditorium Theatre to watch the touring Broadway production of “The Lion King,” which runs through January 5. Every millennial in the audience, many of whom are now the parents of these children, grew up with the 1994 cartoon film from Disney. And in the past few weeks, these same folks started streaming Disney+ and can now access relics of their childhood TV and film nostalgia at any time. But does that nostalgia translate to a

theatrical adaptation from 1997? Based on Friday’s packed audience at the Auditorium Theatre, it seems that way.

“The Lion King” is the coming-of-age, prodigal son tale of Simba, the rightful heir to the Pride Lands throne. When a terrible tragedy takes place, young cub Simba flees his home and only finds his way back with the help of a zany group of animal friends.

(The literary-fluent will detect themes from the Old Testament Bible stories of Joseph and Moses and William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” throughout.) With original songs by heavy hitters Elton John and Tim Rice and a score

by Hans Zimmer, “The Lion King” was always destined to be a Broadway musical. Clocking in at just over two and a half hours (including an intermission), the adaptation does include extra scenes and musical numbers apart from the cartoon film.

“The Lion King” won six of its 11 Tony Award nominations in 1998, including Best Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Costumes, and Best Choreography.

30 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Artistic director and costume designer Julie Taymor enjoyed much fanfare for her design and vision, which brought to life a musical that was different from any before it. Rochester’s own Garth Fagan won a Tony for the original choreography (still performed in the touring productions). It’s an earthy, stimulating show right from the start, as costumed performers — many operating large puppets and marionettes — come streaming through the aisles of the auditorium for the opening number, “Circle of Life.”

The cast is comprised of more than 60 actors, some double- and triple-cast

as ensemble animals, and it’s a wildly (pun intended) cast overall. Audience members should take time to read cast bios, too, as many of the ensemble have listed their birthplaces; they’re from all over the world. But it’s the leads that really have expectations on them; after all, they’re being compared to well-loved (albeit cartoon or computer-generated) characters voiced by well-known actors.

Leading the cast in the first act is Gerald Ramsey, who plays a wise, strong Mufasa with a subtle sense of humor. Ramsey’s voice is incredibly moving and powerful during the show’s hit “They Live in You.” Rafiki (Buyi Zama) and Zazu (Jürgen Hooper) provide a wealth of comedic relief, and Hooper impressively does so while maneuvering a hollow puppet on his body. As the menacing Scar, Spencer Plachy is every bit the hateable villain, from intonation to maniacal laugh.

In the second act, Brandon A. McCall as older Simba steals the spotlight with his energy and vocals, leaving the audience wishing he was on stage longer. And of course, it wouldn’t be “The Lion King” without a Long Islandesque, sassy Timon (Nick Cordileone) and unassuming, lovable Pumbaa (Ben Lipitz, who also played the role during the last Rochester tour in 2011). Together, the duo elicited most of the evening’s laughs.

For all its nostalgia, age, and spectacle, “The Lion King” has the distinct potential to feel a little stale compared to less lengthy, newer, more topical Broadway shows. It might be one of those shows that will run for all time, like “Phantom of the Opera” or “Cats” — after all, “The Lion King” did surpass every other Broadway show to become the most popular musical in the world. Maybe the 2019 movie remake starring Donald Glover and Seth Rogen is winning over a new generation of Simba groupies.

Or maybe it’s enough that “The Lion King” is always a new experience for someone in the audience.

Maybe that, coupled with a classic storyline and truly impressive production quality, is enough to keep filling seats and booking tours. Maybe that’s what “The Lion King” experience is all about: the circle of life.

Leah Stacy is a freelance writer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@ rochester-citynews.com.

Arts & Performance Art Exhibits

Soul Food Jamaican

[ OPENING ] Image City Photography Gallery, 722 University Ave. The Magic of Light 2020. TuesdaysSundays. Receptions Jan 3, 5-9pm & Jan 4, 2-5pm.

Through Jan 26. 271-2540.

INeRT PReSS, 1115 East Main St. Max Beerbohm. First Friday of every month, 5-9 p.m.

Through Mar 26. 482-0931.

International Art Acquisitions, 3300 Monroe Ave. Roberto Salas: Iced Orange. Jan. 1-31.

264-1440. [ CONTINUING ] ART EXHIBITS 1570 Gallery at Valley Manor, 1570 East Ave. Sheridan Vincent: Round & About Rochester. Through Jan. 19, 2020. 546-8400.

540WMain, 540 W Main St. Taurus Savant: Candid Canvis.

Through Dec. 29. 420-8439.

Anthony Mascioli Gallery, Central Library, 115 South Ave. Art of the Book. MondaysSaturdays. Through Feb 1.

428-8350.

Art Center of Rochester, 563 Titus Ave. Irondequoit. Chloe Smith & Kaitlin Roney: Nothing Ethereal About Her. Through Jan. 17, 2020. 435-4677.

Arts Center of Yates County, 127 Main St. Penn Yan. Celebration. MondaysSaturdays. (315) 536-8226.

ArtSpace36, 36 Main St. Canandaigua. Student Portfolio Show. Thursdays-Saturdays.

Through Jan 17. flcc.edu/ artspace36.

AsIs Gallery, Sage Art Center, 835 Wilson Blvd. The Backyard: Senior Works in Progress. Through Jan. 19, 2020.

Central Library, Local History & Genealogy Division, 115 South Ave. Everyday People: The Dinkle Family & Rochester’s African American Past.

Mondays-Fridays. Through Dec 30. 428-8370.

Chocolate & Vines, 757 University Ave. Gale Karpel & Evelyne Albanese: Photography & Paintings.

Through Dec. 30. 340-6362.

Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332. Works by David Cowles. Mondays-Fridays.

398-0220.

Frank Argento Studio, 510 Park Ave. Dance: A Mixed Media Exhibit. WednesdaysSaturdays. 512-4904.

Fuego Coffee Roasters, 1 Woodbury Blvd. Will Cornfield: Imperfect Perfections. Through Dec. 31. 270-9214.

Gallery at Kodak Center, 200 W Ridge Rd. The Power to Move Us: Celebrating Railfans, Rail Photographers, & Our Own Kodak Park Railroad History.

Mondays-Saturdays. Through Jan 31. 254-0181.

and of course, our

famous BBQ!

! n o o S g in

PHOTO PROVIDED

COMEDY | THE CAPITOL STEPS

In an age where real headlines read like satire, it requires some serious chops to write political humor that feels fresh and relevant. Musical comedy troupe The Capitol Steps have honed their skills poking fun at the nation’s lawmakers for nearly 40 years, and show no signs of slowing down. By the powers vested in them by Campbell v. Acuff-Rose (that’s the Supreme Court decision protecting the right to create parody songs, for those keeping track at home) the Steps tackle the current administration, both houses of Congress, and all 43,297 active presidential candidates to familiar musical accompaniment.

Tuesday, December 31 at 2 and 6:30 p.m. Callahan Theater at Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Avenue. Tickets start at $45. 389-2170; artscenter.naz.edu.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Gallery Q, 100 College Ave. HIV: Does it Really Matter?.

Mondays-Fridays. 244-8640.

Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Rd 41.

Hodinöhsö:ni’ Women: From the Time of Creation.

Tuesdays-Sundays, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $3-$8. ganondagan.org.

Geisel Gallery, 2nd Floor Rotunda, Legacy Tower, One Bausch & Lomb Place.

Victoria Savka: Not Your Average Menagerie. MondaysFridays. Through Dec 30. thegeiselgallery.com.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org [Mansion closed through Feb 13; Museum closed Jan 6-30]. Lena Herzog: Last Whispers. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Through Jan 1. eastman.org/ last-whispers.; Tanya Marcuse: Woven. Tuesdays-Sundays.

Through Jan 5.; Anderson & Low: Voyages and Discoveries,.

Tuesdays-Sundays. $5$15.; Penelope Umbrico: Everyone’s Photos Any License. Tuesdays-Sundays.; Relocating to America: A History of Photography through the Immigrant Lens. TuesdaysSundays. Through Apr 19.

Go Art!, 201 E Main St. Batavia. goart.org. Members Challenge: Absence. ThursdaysSaturdays. Through Mar 7.; Members’ Show. ThursdaysSaturdays.

INeRT PReSS, 1115 East Main St. Far East. Thursdays.

Through Dec 26. 482-0931.

International Art Acquisitions, 3300 Monroe Ave. David Kerstetter: Red Dahlia.

Through Dec. 31. 264-1440.

Irondequoit Town Hall, 1280 Titus Ave. Irondequoit Art Walk. Mondays-Fridays.

Through December. irondequoitartclub.org.

Link Gallery at City Hall, 30 Church St. Mollie Wolf: Art Work Then & Now. MondaysFridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Through Jan 27. 271-5920.

Little Café, 240 East Ave. Working with Wax 2019.

Through Jan. 3, 2020. 2580400.

Lumiere Photo, 100 College Ave. Small Show: The Large Show of Small Works.

Tuesdays-Saturdays. Through Dec 29. 461-4447.

Main Street Arts, 20 W Main St. Clifton Springs. Small Works 2019. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

(315) 462-0210. continues on page 32

GETLISTED get your event listed for free e-mail it to calendar@rochestercitynews.com. Or go online to rochestercitynewspaper.com and submit it yourself!

Com

A casual concept with a beautiful dining room. Stay tuned!

DO YOU HAVE GLAUCOMA OR HIGH EYE PRESSURE? RESEARCH STUDY OPPORTUNITY Rochester Ophthalmological Group P.C. is now conducting a clinical study for an investigational glaucoma and ocular hypertension treatment. During the study, there will be no cost for your visits, testing or treatment, and you will be compensated for your time and travel.

To learn more about this clinical study, please call The Study Department at 585-244-6011 x 331 or email rogstudy@rogeyecare.com.

Rochester Ophthalmological Group 2100 Clinton Avenue South Rochester, NY 14618 rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 31

[ FRI., DECEMBER 27 ] Malcolm Whitfield & Friends. 8 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $12. 426-6339. [ SAT., DECEMBER 28 ] The Inner Loop Blog. 8 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $15. 426-6339.

Rob Campbell. 9 p.m. Photo City Improv, 543 Atlantic Ave $15. 451-0047. [ SUN., DECEMBER 29 ] Big Wigs. 8 p.m. JCC Hart Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. $20-$33. 461-2000.

PHOTO PROVIDED

SPECIAL EVENT | ‘GINGER MINJ SUPER SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA’

Sparkling lights, tinsel, intentionally ugly sweaters, and a gigantic disco ball over Times Square: the holiday season is largely about finding pure joy in the campy things in life. It only makes sense to top it off with a drag show. Fortunately, Ginger Minj has got you covered. The multitalented Floridian rose to fame with a runner-up finish on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2015.

Since then, Ginger has starred in Netflix’s “Dumplin’” and dropped an album, with a second one on the way next year.

The show in Rochester is advertised as a low-budget affair, but expect metaphorical fireworks regardless. ‘Tis the season!

Friday, December 27, at 8 p.m. Lyric Theatre, 440 East Avenue. 18+. Tickets start at $32. 256-0444; lyrictheatrerochester.org.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900.

De’VIA: The Manifesto Comes of Age. Wednesdays-Sundays.

Through Feb 16. Tours Thursdays 6-7pm. $6-$15.; Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau. WednesdaysSundays. Through Jan 19. $6-$15.; Ja’Tovia Gary: Giverny I (NÉGRESSE IMPÉRIALE).

Through April 5, 2020.

Mill Art Center & Gallery, 61 N Main St. Honeoye Falls.

Annual Members Exhibition.

Wednesdays-Fridays. Through Jan 31. 624-7740.

MuCCC Gallery, 142 Atlantic Ave. Valerie Berner: Making the Scenes. Through Dec. 29. muccc.org/artgallery.

My Sister’s Gallery at the Episcopal Church Home, 505 Mt Hope Ave. Mary Ann SawyerWade: This & That, Here & There. Through Jan. 19, 2020.

Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery, 71 S Main St. Canandaigua. Holidays at the Gallery. Through Dec. 31.

Through Dec 31. 394-0030.

RIT City Art Space, 280 East Main St. R. Roger Remington: Formation. Thursdays-Sundays.

Through Jan 25. Gallery talk Jan 24, 6pm. cityartspace.rit.edu.

Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave. 29th Annual Members Exhibition | Earthen. Wednesdays-Sundays.

Through Jan 12. 461-2222.

Studio 402, 250 N Goodman St. The Art of Giving. Through Dec. 27. Through Dec 27.

269-9823.

UUU Art Collective, 153 State St. Muhammad Zaman: Repetitive Resilience.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Through Jan 11. 434-2223.

William Harris Gallery, 3rd Floor Gannett Hall, RIT. MFA Photography & Related Media Work Share. Mondays-Fridays.

475- 2716.

Williams Gallery at First Unitarian Church, 220 S Winton Rd. Katherine Weston: Before There Was Yonder.

Mondays-Fridays. Reception Jan 10, 5-7pm. Through Jan 13. 271-9070.

Williams-Insalaco Gallery 34 at FLCC, 3325 Marvin Sands Dr. Print Club of Rochester: 88th Annual Exhibition. Through Jan. 17, 2020. 785-1369.

The Yards, 50-52 Public Market.

Members Showcase. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays. Through Dec 29. attheyards.com.

Call for Artists [ WED., DECEMBER 25 ] 2020-2021 Exhibit Season.

Through Dec. 31. Roz Steiner Art Gallery, GCC, 1 College Rd genesee.edu/gallery.

32 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

THEATER | ‘THE SCAVENGER’S DAUGHTER’

The Scavenger’s Daughter is a play for our times — it weaves together the trials of a family struggling with one members’ dementia and an engrossing murder mystery. Originally penned by Buffalo playwright Gary Earl Ross, this drama has been critically lauded throughout the decade and even made into a motion picture in Mumbai. The North Star Players, led by director David Shakes, are now in their second run of the production, and The MuCCC is an ideal venue for this intimate, small-cast drama.

Tuesday, January 7, through Friday, January 10, 7:30 p.m.

The MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets are $18, $15 for students and seniors. Appropriate for ages 18+. muccc.org.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Deaf LGBTQ Exhibition. Through Jan. 5, 2020. NTID Dyer Arts Center, 52 Lomb Memorial Dr. rit.edu/ntid/dyerarts Exhibit Mar 6-Apr 18 DyerArtsCenter@ gmail.com.

Make Some Noise!. Through May 1, 2020. Create Art 4 Good, 1115 E. Main St, Suite #203, Door #5 $10. 210-3161.

Request for Proposals: Temporary Public Art Installations on East Ave. Through Jan. 31, 2020.

Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave. To commemorate major women’s rights anniversaries in 2020 461-2222.

The Days the Artists Spoke.

6-9 p.m. Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave. 461-2222.

First Friday Featured Artist.

First Friday of every month.

David Fleisher. Sylvan Starlight Creations, 50 State St., Bldg C .

Pittsford 209-0960.

First Friday: Unstrung Studios.

6-9 p.m. Fuego Coffee Roasters, 1 Woodbury Blvd.

270-9214.

Open Studios. First Friday of every month, 5-9 p.m. The Hungerford, 1115 E Main St. Enter Door 2 facebook.com/ thehungerford.

Art Events

[ SAT., JANUARY 4 ] Ujamaa Marketplace. First Saturday of every month, 1-5 p.m. Baobab Cultural Center, 728 University Ave. 563-2145.

[ FRI., DECEMBER 27 ] Final Fridays @ StudioRAD. Last Friday of every month, 6-11 p.m. StudioRAD, 46 Mount Hope Ave studiorad.org. [ SUN., DECEMBER 29 ] Art Talk!. Last Sunday of every month, 6:30 p.m. The Yards, 50-52 Public Market theyardsrochester.com. [ FRI., JANUARY 3 ] Anderson Arts Open Studios.

First Friday of every month, 6-9 p.m. Anderson Arts Building, 250 N. Goodman St. andersonartsbuilding.org.

Black AF Fridays. First Friday of every month, 6-10 p.m. The Avenue Blackbox Theatre, 780 Joseph Ave.

[ MON., JANUARY 6 ] Museum Mondays for Seniors: Nat’l Toy Hall of Fame Guided Tour. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. 263-2700.

Comedy [ THU., DECEMBER 26 ] Rich Vos. 7:30 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $12-$17. 426-6339.

The Uncle Louie Variety Show Holiday Special. 8 p.m.

Downstairs Cabaret at Winton Place, 3450 Winton Place $25/$30. 325-4370.

[ THU., JANUARY 2 ] Marc Salem’s Mind Over Rochester. 7 p.m. Downstairs Cabaret at Winton Place, 3450 Winton Place $27-$30.

325-4370.

Tim Meadows. 7:30 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $15-$20.

426-6339.

Theater A Christmas Carol. Thu., Dec. 26, 7 p.m., Fri., Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Dec. 28, 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 29, 12 & 5 p.m. Geva Theatre, 75 Woodbury Blvd $12.50-$82. gevatheatre.org.

Ginger Minj: Super Spectacular Holiday Extravaganza. Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m. Lyric Theatre, 440 East Ave $32-$50.

The Lion King. Thu., Dec. 26, 1 & 7 p.m., Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., Sat., Dec. 28, 2 & 8 p.m., Sun., Dec. 29, 1 & 6:30 p.m., Mon., Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m., Tue., Dec. 31, 1 p.m., Thu., Jan. 2, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Jan. 3, 8 p.m., Sat., Jan. 4, 2 & 8 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 5, 1 & 6:30 p.m.

Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St. $33 & up. rbtl.org.

Midwinter Renaissance Faire.

Thu., Dec. 26, 7 p.m., Fri., Dec. 27, 7 p.m. and Sat., Dec. 28, 7 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave $10/$15. muccc.org.

National Theatre Live: Hansard.

Sun., Jan. 5, noon and Tue., Jan. 7, 6 p.m. Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. $15/$20. thelittle.org.

Peter and the Starcatcher. Thu., Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., Sat., Dec. 28, 2 & 8 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 29, 2 p.m. Blackfriars Theatre, 795 E. Main St $31.50-$39.50.

454-1260.

The Scavengers Daughter.

Jan. 7-10, 7:30 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave $15/$18. muccc.org.

Film Dryden Theatre, 900 East Ave. “Ali” (2001). Thu., Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m. $5-$10. eastman. org.; “Sweet Charity” (1969).

Fri., Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m. $5-$10. eastman.org.; “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968).

Sat., Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. $5$10. eastman.org.; “Blazing Saddles” (1974). Sun., Dec. 29, 2 p.m. $5-$10. eastman.org.

Kids Events [ WED., DECEMBER 25 ] Classic Toys School Break.

Through Jan. 5, 2020. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. Closed Dec 25 $16. 263-2700. [ THU., DECEMBER 26 ] 6th Annual Family Fun Skate. 12-2 p.m. Greater Canandaigua Civic Center, 250 N Bloomfield Rd .

Canandaigua $5/$7.

217-6430.

Snowed In: Winter Break Science Days. Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave. $16-$18. rmsc.org. [ SAT., DECEMBER 28 ] Family Sleepover at the Zoo. 6:15 p.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St Ages 5-10 & their adult $60/$70. 336-7213. [ THU., JANUARY 2 ] Anansi Tales: Brer Rabbit. 6:30 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave Puppetry workshop Jan 4, 11:30am ($25) $5-$15. muccc.org. [ FRI., JANUARY 3 ] Day Off ZooCamp. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St $45/$55. 336-7213. [ MON., JANUARY 6 ] Storytime Club. Winter Wonderland. Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. w/ museum admission: $16. 263-2700.

Holiday Holiday Botanical Show.

Through Jan. 5, 2020.

Lamberton Conservatory, 180 Reservoir Rd. $2/$3.

753-7270.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Kujichagulia.

Fri., Dec. 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Rochester Community TV (RCTV15), 21 Gorham St. 3251238 Fri., Dec. 27, 5-9 p.m.

The Avenue Blackbox Theatre, 780 Joseph Ave. 355-7884.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Kuumba. Tue., Dec. 31, 5-9 p.m. School #34, 530 Lexington Ave 355-7884.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Nia. Mon., Dec. 30, 3-6 p.m. David F. Gantt Community Center, 700 North St. 355-7884.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Ujima. Sat., Dec. 28, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Phillis Wheatley Public Library, 33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way 355-7884.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Ujima Evening Affair. Sat., Dec. 28, 7-11 p.m.

WOC Art Collaborative, 215 Tremont St., Door 3, Suite 300 $7-$21. 235-2767.

Kwanzaa 20/20: Umoja. Thu., Dec. 26, 5-8 p.m. School #3, 85 Adams St. 355-7884.

Kwanzaa Feast. Wed., Jan. 1, 6 p.m. Tay House, 85 Hillside Ave. 461-0379.

Kwanzaa: Nguzo Saba. Dec. 26-31, 6 p.m. First Community Interfaith Institute, Inc., 219 Hamilton St. 461-0379.

La Trulla Navidena. Sat., Jan. 4, 7 p.m. The Avalon, 470 State St. Live music. Ages 21 & up.

Roc Holiday Village. Through Dec. 29. MLK Jr. Memorial Park, 1 Manhattan Sq. Closed Christmas Day.

Recreation [ SAT., DECEMBER 28 ] Edgerton Model Railroad Open House. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Edgerton Community Center, 41 Backus St 428-6769.

Saturday Snowshoeing. 1-3 p.m Helmer Nature Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave $3/$5, $15/ family. 336-3035.

PHOTO PROVIDED

THEATER | ‘ANANSI TALES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: BRER RABBIT EDITION’

Maplewood’s {theatre}+{náfsi} is bringing a unique collection of folktales from the African Diaspora to the stage. The theatre company, named for the Swahili word for soul, has developed an interactive performance that showcases Brer Rabbit narratives through the use of acting, puppetry, and storytelling. The highlight of this run is the children’s workshop on Saturday, January 4, at 11:30 a.m., when participants aged 4 to 12 will have the opportunity to create a mask or puppet and join the cast for the afternoon show.

“Anansi Tales” will be performed Tuesday, December 31, at 2 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, January 2-3, at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, January 4, at 11:30 a.m., 2 and 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, January 5, at 2 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Avenue. Advance tickets are $15 (adult plus one child), $20 at the door; additional child tickets are $5. Workshop tickets for January 4 are $25. muccc.org — BY DECLAN RYAN

FAMILY | SNOWED-IN: WINTER BREAK SCIENCE DAYS

Kids love science, and kids love days off from school. I remember combining these favorites in such groundbreaking experiments as “cardboard box stair sledding” and “Can I flush a whole can of cranberry sauce down the toilet?” If your small humans are similarly inclined toward such inquiries, head over to the Rochester Museum & Science Center to channel that energy in a productive and fun way. The museum’s program, “Snowed-in: Winter Break Science Days,” features a snowball catapult, programmable robots, and a huge range of community presenters. It’s also cheaper than hiring a plumber to remove a can of cranberry sauce from your toilet.

Thursday, December 26, through Sunday, January 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Avenue. Admission is $16-18. 271-4320; rmsc.org — BY DECLAN RYAN

[ SAT., JANUARY 4 ] Wandering Naturalist. 10 a.m.

Sterling Nature Center, 15380 Jenzvold Rd (315) 947-6143.

Winter Weekend Wild Walks.

11 a.m. Jan 5, 1-3pm: Winter Weeds. Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. $7. rmsc.org.

[ THU., JANUARY 2 ] Book Sandwiched In. 12-1 p.m. Brighton Memorial Library, 2300 Elmwood Ave. Leif Enger’s “Virgil Wander” 784-5310. [ SAT., JANUARY 4 ] Genesee Reading Series: Rachel Hall & Sonja Livingston. 7:30 p.m. Writers & Books, 740 University Ave wab.org. [ MON., JANUARY 6 ] Moving Beyond Racism Book Discussion. 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, 3349 Monroe Ave. Jodi Picoult’s “Small Great Things” 334-5971. [ TUE., JANUARY 7 ] New Ground Poetry Night. First Tuesday of every month, 7:30 p.m. Equal=Grounds, 750 South Ave. equalgrounds.com.

Sweet Bites: A Taste of Poetry.

12-1 p.m. Penfield Public Library, 1985 Baird Rd. 340-8720. continues on page 34

Culture Lectures [ THU., JANUARY 2 ] Who Sold The First Hamburger.

Solving the Cold Case Located Between Two Warm Buns.

7:30 p.m. Mendon Community Center, 167 N. Main St. Chris Carosa, presenter 624-5655.

GETLISTED get your event listed for free e-mail it to calendar@rochestercitynews.com. Or go online to rochestercitynewspaper.com and submit it yourself!

Literary Events [ THU., DECEMBER 26 ] History Reading Salon. Last Thursday of every month, 7-8:30 p.m. Writers & Books, 740 University Ave wab.org.

n e p i n O g d Gala n a r G Sands Constellation Theatre A place for the presentation of music, dance, theatre and family entertainment!

Sat January 11th • Festivities begin 6pm Sun January 12th • Join us at 1pm!

Featuring Michael Park, Nicolette Hart, Diana Jacobs Band & much more!

For full details: fhpac.org • Tickets: 585-412-6043 or info@fhpac.org

20 Fort Hill Avenue • Canandaigua

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 33

PSST. Is it worth a thousand words?

Check our art reviews from Rebecca Rafferty.

/

New Year’s Eve / Day Laughs [ TUE., DECEMBER 31 ] Big Wigs. 9 p.m. JCC Hart Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. $20-$33. 461-2000.

The Capitol Steps. 2 & 6:30 p.m. Callahan Theater at Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Ave $45–$75.

389-2170.

John Dicrosta. 7 & 9 p.m.

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

Last Laugh of 2019. 9 p.m.

Bug Jar, 219 Monroe Ave. $6. bugjar.com.

Marc Salem: Mind Over HOLIDAY | KWANZAA Rochester. 7 p.m. Downstairs Cabaret at Winton Place, 3450 Winton Place $27-$30. This year, Rochester Kwanzaa Coalition is celebrating the 325-4370. theme “Kwanzaa 20/20: Vision for Us.” The week of events

A RT

kicks off at 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 26, with the celebration of Umoja, or Unity, at Nathaniel Rochester School No. [ TUE., DECEMBER 31 ] 3 (85 Adams Street). The following day starts early at 11 a.m.

Anansi Tales: Brer Rabbit. 3 with a seminar on video editing at RCTV (21 Gorham Street) p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave and a discussion of media and its relationship to Kujichagulia $5-$15. muccc.org. (self-determination). Friday evening, the celebration moves to Countdown to the Noon Year’s. the Avenue Blackbox Theater (780 Joseph Avenue) for a panel 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Charlotte Branch Library, 3557 discussion and musical performances starting at 5 p.m.

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The Hungerford Souper Bowl Preview, Cat Clay, #242 Monotypes and Encaustic Paintings, Constance Mauro Studio, #236 Phillips Fine Art and Frame 2020 Collectors Show and Sale #8 Rochester Contemporary Art Center 29th Annual Members Exhibition - The Days the Artists Spoke Earthen

Sylvan Starlight Creations Creative Expression by Dave Fleisher 34 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Lake Ave. 428-8216.

First Night Rochester. 6 p.m.

Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex, 2700 Brighton-Henrietta Townline Rd $5/$10. 4244625 ext.11.

Happy Noon Year!. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave. $16-$18. rmsc.org.

The Lion King. 1 p.m.

Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St. $33 & up. rbtl.org.

Make & Take: Noisemakers. 1 p.m. Winton Branch Library, 611 N Winton Rd. 428-8204.

New Year’s Celebration. 6-9 p.m. Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123 E. Main St 428-6690.

Noon Year’s Eve. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St $7-$10. 336-7200.

On Screen [ TUE., DECEMBER 31 ] “Rebecca” (1940). 7:30 p.m.

Dryden Theatre, 900 East Ave. $5-$10. eastman.org.

Saturday’s principle is Ujima, or collective work and responsibility. Wheatley Branch Library (33 Samuel McCree Way) will host an event starting at 10:30 a.m. that features a nurse practitioner discussing community health. That night, the Ujima Evening Affair at WOC Arts Collective (215 Tremont Street) includes a DJ, karaoke, and more — check the event page to get advance tickets. Sunday’s celebration of Ujamaa (collective economics) is also at 215 Tremont starting at 1 p.m., and includes kids’ activities, a marketplace, and a panel discussion. Monday’s principle is Nia (purpose); celebrations begin at 3 p.m. at the David Gantt Community Center (700 North Street), and will include live music, crafts, and a community discussion.

Monday, December 31, is Kuumba Night at Dr. Louis A Cerulli School No. 34 (530 Lexington Avenue). The free event, which Rochester Kwanzaa Coalition describes as the high point of Kwanzaa, celebrates creativity with food and live performances starting at p.m.

Kwanzaa celebrations take place Thursday, December 26, through Wednesday, January 1. Call the Kwanzaa Hotline for event details: 355-7884; facebook.com/RochesterKwanzaaCoalition.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Outdoors [ WED., JANUARY 1 ] First Day Hike. 1 p.m.

Beechwood State Park, 7563 Lake Rd . Sodus East entrance (315) 573-8170 1 p.m. Casey Park, 6551 Knickerbocker Rd Ontario (315) 573-8170 1:30 p.m. Seneca Park, 2222 St. Paul St. Meet at Longhouse Shelter Free; registration required. 336-7213.

First Day Snowshoe Hike.

10 a.m.-noon. Montezuma Audubon Center, 2295 State Rt. 89 . Savannah Please register if borrowing showshoes (315) 365-3580.

Revelry [ TUE., DECEMBER 31 ] Black Magic Soiree. 10 p.m.

The Spirit Room, 139 State St $10. 397-7595.

Glitterazzi: Big Queer NYE Ball. 8 p.m. Out Alliance, 100 College Ave. Ages 21+ $10.

244-8640.

New Year’s Bash. 9 p.m. Photo City Improv, 543 Atlantic Ave With Roar, 621 Culver Rd $7/$15. 451-0047.

New Year’s with The Razorsharks. 9 p.m. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor $10. 775-2013.

Oceans ‘20: A New Year’s Eve Celebration. 9:30 p.m. Century Club, 566 East Ave Ages 21+ $125. 461-5010.

Roaring 20’s Party. 8 p.m.

Bar Louie, Both locations: 935 Jefferson Rd & Greece Ridge Center.

Skyway Pop-Up Party. 9 p.m.

VOLO Osteria & Enoteca, 90 S Clinton Ave $20/$30.

598-6601.

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PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY Interactive, Experiential and Informal

SAVE THE DATE! Beginning January 8th | Wednesdays 7-9pm Introductory course: $100 | Returning students: $135

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585.288.6430 www.practical-philosophy.org

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 35

Film in some sly political bite and a host of great performances from its wonderful ensemble, led

by MVP Ana de Armas.

7. “Midsommar”

Ari Aster injects a dark sense of humor into this audacious and horrific tale about a troubled couple travels abroad to visit a fabled mid-summer festival in rural Sweden.

A break-up story for the ages, featuring one of Florence Pugh’s three phenomenal performances this year.

8. “Little Women”

Greta Gerwig absolutely nails this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic 19th-century celebration of sisterhood and the complicated women of the March family. A warm, cozy blanket of a movie, with another great turn from Florence Pugh. (Opens in Rochester Christmas Day) 9. “In Fabric”

Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” PHOTO COURTESY NEON

The 15 Best Films of 2019 [ ROUNDUP] BY ADAM LUBITOW

2019 was as good a year for film as it was bad for, well, (gestures broadly to the world) everything else. There was plenty to be thankful for on screens both big and small, and as is always the case, some worthy films had to be left off my list. In the end, these are the movies that most spoke to me this year, conveying something unexpected about what it feels like to be alive right now.

Full disclosure: I have yet to see Tom Hooper’s unnerving new film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s equally wild musical “Cats,” so there’s every chance I’ll be tossing this entire list aside to make room for the alarming sight of Dame Judy Dench, Jennifer Hudson, and Taylor Swift (among many others) playing humanoid felines pleading their case for death and reincarnation. But deadlines are deadlines.

1. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

Set on a remote island in 18th-century France, Céline Sciamma’s gorgeous love story explores the slow-burning romance between a young bride-to-be (Adèle Haenel) and the artist hired to paint her wedding portrait (Noémie Merlant). A pitch-perfect blend of exquisite visual storytelling and raw emotion, with

two indelible lead performances. (Opens in Rochester in early 2020) 2. “Parasite”

Bong Joon-ho’s tale of class warfare was a surprise through every twist and turn. Seeing it during a packed screening with 1200 other people at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September was one of the best theater-going experiences I had all year, as it became clear from the very first moment that Joon-ho had every single one of us completely in the palm of his hand.

5. “The Farewell”

Lulu Wang’s semi-autobiographical dramedy packed an emotional wallop as it examined the bonds of family, stretched but never broken even when forced to cross continents and oceans.

10. “Uncut Gems”

Benny and Josh Safdie create some of the most anxiety-inducing films I’ve seen, and this one starring Adam Sandler as a gambling-addicted diamond district hustler tumbling from one bad idea to another, is no exception.

Beautiful chaos. (Opens in Rochester Christmas Day) 11. “Marriage Story”

3. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

What could have been just a standard Fred Rogers biopic turned out to be so much more, as director Marielle Heller glided past the expected tropes to tell a lovely, deeply humane story that fully embodied Rogers’ teachings.

Possibly the most unexpected and welcome surprise at the movies in 2019.

A hypnotic, hallucinatory horror-comedy about a cursed dress and the havoc it wreaks on the lives of everyone who comes to possess, containing my favorite performance of the year in Fatma Mohamed’s indelible portrayal of a most bewitching saleswoman.

The cast of “Knives Out.” PHOTO COURTESY LIONSGATE

The slow dissolution of a marriage becomes both heartbreaking and surprisingly funny thanks to Noah Baumbach’s cleareyed, endlessly empathetic perspective and incredible work from stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.

4. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Few films this year inspired as many critical analyses and think pieces as Quentin Tarantino’s sprawling, nostalgic ode to Hollywood’s myths and legends, and it’s a testament to the strength of the film that I never tired of reading them.

36 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

6. “Knives Out”

12. “Booksmart”

After delivering the best “Star Wars” movie in ages (no arguments) with “The Last Jedi,” Rian Johnson gifted audiences with this wildly entertaining twist on the classic whodunit. A pleasure from start to finish, while packing

For my money, the funniest comedy of the year was Olivia Wilde’s sweet and salty high school comedy, about two over-achieving best friends (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, in starmaking performances) who try to cram all the

partying they’ve missed out on into the final night before their high school graduation.

a compelling story of cultural divides, global economics, and the struggling workers caught in the middle.

13. “The Irishman”

Focusing on Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and the Bufalino crime family, Martin Scorsese’s epic gangster story unfurled over its three-and-a half hour runtime into an unsparingly melancholy tale of grief, aging, and the gaping divide between the legacies we long to create for ourselves and the ones built for us when we’re not looking.

Awkwafina and Shuzhen Zhou in “The Farewell.”

PHOTO COURTESY A24

14. “American Factory”

Documentarians Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert chronicle the reopening of a former GM plant in Dayton, Ohio under the new ownership of a Chinese windshield company called Fuyao Glass, ending up with

15. “One Cut of the Dead”

This innovative, exceptionally charming horror-comedy from Japan took what seemed like a shopworn premise — the crew of a low-budget zombie film end up caught in a real-life zombie attack, while their determined director fights to keep the camera rolling — and made something fresh and giddily entertaining. With his feature debut, Ueda Shin’ichirô crafts a shaggy tribute to the mad chaos and blind perseverance required to make a movie, even if you have to drag its bleeding corpse across the finish line.

REACH OUT

@ROCCITYNEWS

@CITYNEWSPAPER

Honorable Mentions: “Ad Astra,” “Amazing Grace,” “Apollo 11,” “The Brink,” “Hail Satan?” “Honeyland,” “Hustlers,” “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” “The Lighthouse,” “One Child Nation,” “Pain and Glory,” “The Proposal,” “The Report,” “Transit,” “Us.” Adam Lubitow is a freelance writer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@rochester-citynews.com.

Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 37

Classifieds For information: Call us (585) 244-3329 Fax us (585) 244-1126 Mail Us City Classifieds 280 State Street Rochester, NY 14614 Email Us classifieds@ rochester-citynews.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it unlawful, “to make, print, or publish, any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under the age of 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Call the local Fair Housing Enforcement Project, FHEP at 325-2500 or 1-866-671-FAIR. Si usted sospecha una practica de vivienda injusta, por favor llame al servicio legal gratis. 585-325-2500 - TTY 585-325-2547.

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> cont. on page 40

/ EMPLOYMENT

Employment JOB OPPORTUNITY - $18.50 P/H NYC $16 P/H LI up to $13.50 P/H UPSTATE NY If you currently care for your relatives or friends who have Medicaid or Medicare, you may be eligible to start working for them as a personal assistant. No Certificates needed. (347)4622610 (347)565-6200

Volunteers ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN Volunteers needed for CASA. Help neglected and abused children. Training provided. For more information, please call 585-371-3980.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NEEDED Flower City Pride, Rochester’s LGBTQ+ band. Volunteer Position. Help us pursue our mission to promote music, diversity, pride. Inquire at info@ flowercitypride.com BECOME A DOCENT at the Rochester Museum & Science Center Must be an enthusiastic communicator, Like working with children. Learn more at http:// www.rmsc.org/Support/Volunteer Or call 585-697-1948

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WE NEED YOUR help to #Keep Rochester Cool! Sustainable Homes Rochester is seeking volunteers to educate residents on clean heating and cooling technologies. No expertise required. Contact: kristen@ rocpcc.org.

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1799 HILTON-PARMA CORNERS ROAD LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 11/15/2019.

LLC’s office is in Monroe Co. SS is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SS shall mail a copy of any process to 5018 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, NY 14559. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ LEGAL NOTICE ] Notice of formation of a limited liability company (LLC). Name: PAK Leader Tools, LLC. Article of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on December 10, 2019 Office location: Monroe County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 1685 Edgemere Dr., Rochester NY 14612.

Purpose: For any lawful purpose. [ LEGAL NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Family Nails Salon LLC. Art. Of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/02/19.

Office Location: Monroe County. Street Address of principal business location: c/o The Limited Liability Company, 500 South Union Street, Spencerport, NY 14559. SSNY shall mail copy of process: c/o The Limited Liability Company, 500 South Union Street, Spencerport, NY 14559. Purpose: any lawful purpose.

[ NOTICE ] MEGHAN L. FOX, PSY.D., P.L.L.C. filed Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State on June 5, 2019. Its office is located in Monroe County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the Company upon whom process against it may be served and a copy of any process shall be mailed to 1580 Elmwood Ave, Suite D, Rochester, NY 14620. The purpose of the Company is psychological services. [ NOTICE ] MGD Ventures, LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 12/5/19. LLC’s office is in Monroe Co. SS is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SS will mail a copy of any process to 64 Commercial St., Suite 401, Rochester, NY 14614. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

G And W Realty Group LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 8/9/16. Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to 114 Birr St Rochester, NY 14613 General Purpose

MSZ PROPERTIES LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 12/5/19. LLC’s office is in Monroe Co. SS is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SS shall mail a copy of any process to LLC, 919 Culver Road, Attn: Michael S. Zwas, Rochester, NY 14609.

LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ]

40 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

Ingerson Stone Homestead, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/9/2019.

Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Tina M. Schuth, 4317 Canal Rd., Spencerport, NY 14559. General Purpose.

[ NOTICE ]

Gilletek LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/5/2019.

Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 707 Mendon Rd., Pittsford, NY 14534. General Purpose.

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[ NOTICE ]

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whom process against it may be served. SS will mail a copy of any process to 249 Cherry Creek Ln., Rochester, NY 14626. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

Honest Properties LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 11/9/15. LLC’s office is in Monroe Co. SS is designated as agent of LLC upon

[ NOTICE ] Not. of Form. of JLD Concepts LLC. Art. of Org. filed by Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/16/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY DESIGNATED AS AGENT OF LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY may mail a copy of any process to 316 Valley Road, Rochester, NY 14618. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ] Notice is hereby given that an alcohol beverage license pending, has been applied for, to consume liquor, beer & wine at retail in a bar/tavern, under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, at 859-863 BAY ST , ROCHESTER, NY 14609. In Monroe County for consumption. *JACKIE RAY’S LLC* *DBA* *JACKIE RAY’S TAVERN* [ NOTICE ] Notice of Form. of SMOOTH CHOICE, LLC (the “LLC”). Art. of Org. filed with Secretary of the State of NY (SSNY) on 12/10/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 516 Locust Ln, East Rochester, NY 14445.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of R&M Properties of NY LLC; Art of Org filed with Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/21/2019; Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 7617 Fourth Section Road, Brockport, New York 14420. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of 5707 East Lake Road, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/12/19.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1 Grove St, Ste 200, Pittsford, NY 14534.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of ANCHOR SECURE, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/17/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 58 WEST AVE., SPENCERPORT, NY 14559 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Brand 52 LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/23/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY

designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 135 Brannon Lane Webster NY 14580.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Broadstone Employee Sub, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/12/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 800 Clinton Square, Rochester, NY 14604.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of CALLAHAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, LLC . Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 8/16/19. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 27 Vick Park B #2, Rochester, NY, 14607.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of DEVTRINSIC SOLUTIONS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/7/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 774 Washington St, Spencerport, NY 14559. Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Digital Infrastructure, LLC (the “LLC”).

Articles of Organization filed with the NY Secy of State (“SOS”) on 1/25/19. The office of the LLC is in Monroe County. SOS is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SOS shall mail a copy of such process to 780 Ridge Rd, Ste. 4, Webster, NY 14580. The LLC is formed to engage in any lawful activity for which an LLC may be formed under the NY LLC law. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of DwG Rocket LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/6/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as

Legal Ads agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 4445 Clover St., Honeoye Falls, NY 14472. Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Ezekiel Properties LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/20/19. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 99 Orchard Street Webster, NY 14580 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Hafner Bee Yard, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 0802/19 Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 82 Lake Shore Drive, Hilton, NY 14468 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of JDR Distributing LLC (the “LLC”). The LLC was formerly known as Digital Creative Distributing, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the NY Secy of State (“SOS”) on 1/28/19. The office of the LLC is in Monroe County. SOS is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SOS shall mail a copy of such process to 780 Ridge Rd, Ste. 4, Webster, NY 14580. The LLC is formed to engage in any lawful activity for which an LLC may be formed under the NY LLC law. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of KeySpoke Software LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/14/2019. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 620 Park Ave #328 Rochester NY 14607.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of KMB Investors, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/25/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, P.O. Box 12551, Rochester, NY 14612.

Purpose: any lawful act.

To place your ad in the LEGAL section, contact Tracey Mykins by phone at (585) 244-3329 x10 or by email at legals@rochester-citynews.com

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[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of LADS Properties LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/3/19.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the LLC, 486 Spring Water Lane, New Canaan, CT 06840-6009. Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of formation of Mark M Hills Remodeling, LLC (the “LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with the NY Secy of State (“SOS”) on 1/25/19.

The office of the LLC is in Monroe County. SOS is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SOS shall mail a copy of such process to 780 Ridge Rd, Ste. 4, Webster, NY 14580. The LLC is formed to engage in any lawful activity for which an LLC may be formed under the NY LLC law.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of LAKE AFFECT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/7/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 179 Cobbs Hill Dr, Rochester, NY 14610. Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Name: Dewey Capital Partners LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on November 15, 2019. Office location, Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to: P.O. Box 10369, Rochester NY 14610. Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC). Name: Lyndhurst Capital Partners LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on November 20, 2019. Office location, Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: P.O. Box 10369, Rochester NY 14610 Purpose: any lawful purpose.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Monroe Assistance Fund LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/20/19. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, Attn: Paul Adams, 3445 Winton Place, Ste 228, Rochester, NY 14623. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of NATURE NEVER LIE LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 9/27/2019 Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 15 Henry Street, Rochester Ny 14605 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Otis Creek Estate LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/8/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o 12 Silent Meadows Dr, Spencerport, NY 14559.

Purpose: any lawful act.

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Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Name: Nolte Road Holdings LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on November 19, 2019. Office location, Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: P.O. Box 10369, Rochester NY 14610 Purpose: any lawful purpose.

Notice of formation of RBG PROPERTIES, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/15/2006.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Michael Radigan, 14 Concord Dr., Pittsford, NY 14534. Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Redstart Solutions LLC Art. of Org. filed

Sec’y of State (SSNY) 10/04/2019. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to United States Corporation Agents, Inc, 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of River’s Edge Party House, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/1/2019.

Office location, County of Monroe. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 92 Colin St, Rochester, NY 14615.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of RR Street Grill, LLC. Art.of Org. filed Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) 12/9/2019.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 109 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604. Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of ServerTech LLC Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/11/2019. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 67 Branchwood Lane, Rochester NY 14618.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Sibley Redevelopment 2 of MM LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/12/19. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc., 122 E 42nd St, 18th Fl, NY, NY 10168. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Sibley Redevelopment 2 OZ LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/12/19. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Cogency Global Inc., 122 E 42nd St, 18th Fl, NY, NY 10168. Purpose: any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of SITO’S SWEETS, LLC. Art.of Org. filed Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) 12/9/2019.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 30 Rosemont Circle, Rochester, NY 14617.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of SK-NY Estates LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/17/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 12 Boulder Brook Ct, Belle Mead, NJ 08502. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Top Shelf Capital, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 02/01/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 300 Hylan Drive, Ste 6-130, Rochester, NY 14623.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of TOP SHELF HOCKEY TRAINING, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) November 8, 2019. Office location: Monroe County. 10 Falcon Trail, Pittsford, N.Y. 14534/ SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to Office location. Purpose: any lawful activity [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Wind Song Cottage, LLC (the “LLC”).

Articles of Organization filed with the NY Secy of State (“SOS”) on 9/27/19. The office of the LLC is in Monroe County. SOS is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SOS shall mail a copy of such process to P. O. Box #444, Brockport, NY 14420. The LLC is formed to engage in any lawful activity for which an LLC may be formed under the NY LLC law. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Wolf Development, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the NY Dept. of State on October 3, 2019. Office is located in Monroe County. The

NY Secretary of State has been designated as the agent upon whom process may be served.

NYSS may mail a copy of process to the LLC at: 1643 Shallow Creek Trail, Webster, NY 14580. Purpose of LLC: Any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION being held at Chester’s Self Storage 1037 Jay St. Rochester NY 14611 on Friday 01-10-20, 9:00 am. The following customers’ accounts have become delinquent so their item (s) will be auctioned off to settle past due rents.

NOTE: Owner reserves the right to bid at auction, reject any and all bids,Terrence Brown unit 406 owes $228, Richard Corke unit 321 owes $368, Dale Smith unit 138 owes $288, Makhia Clark Unit 209 owes $288, Jason Benman unit 351 owes $368, Donnell Pinkard unit 210 owes $288, Danny Burgos unit 152 owes $228. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Public Auction being held at Chester’s Self Storage 600 W Broad St. Rochester NY 14608 on Friday, 01/10/20, 9:00 am. The following customers’ accounts have become delinquent so their item (s) will be auctioned off to settle past due rents. NOTE: Owner reserves the right to bid at auction, reject any and all bids, Sheila Hardeman Unit 13 owes $193, Yvonne Ashford-Fairwell unit 14 owes $228, Joseph Mitchell Unit 54 owes $368. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of AT Sweden NY II, LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/27/19.

Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/23/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 28 Liberty St., NY, NY 10005, also the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Address to be maintained in DE: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, Po Box 898, Dover, DE 19903.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of DENALI ROI, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/22/19.

Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed

in Arkansas (AR) on 04/24/17. Princ. office of LLC: 3308 Bernice Ave., Russellville, AR 72802. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543.

Cert. of Form. filed with AR Secy. of State, Attn: Corporations, 500 Woodland Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201.

Purpose: Transportation and applications of residue. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of GCP REIT IV MLO, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/30/19.

Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/30/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: c/o CSC, 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. Of State, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: Any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] ROC EZ AUTO LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 11/15/2019.

LLC’s office is in Monroe Co. SS is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SS shall mail a copy of any process to 5018 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, NY 14559.

LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS IN TAX LIEN FORECLOSURE– SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, COUNTY OF MONROE – TLF NATIONAL TAX LIEN TRUST 2017-1, Plaintiff, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF PHILIP R. MANDELL JR. Defendants. Index No. 008742/16. To the above-named Defendants –YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action within twenty days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed if the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment

will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Plaintiff designates Monroe County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the county in which the property a lien upon which is being foreclosed is situated.

The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. J. Scott Odorisi, J.S.C., dated October 22, 2019, and entered on November 21, 2019.

The object of this action is to foreclose a Tax Lien covering the premises located at Section 104.10, Block 1, Lot 35 on the Tax Map of MONROE County and also known as 27 Jordan Avenue, Rochester, New York. Dated: December 19, 2019 BRONSTER, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff, TLF NATIONAL TAX LIEN TRUST 2017-1 By: Yan Borodanski 156 West 56th Street, Suite 1801 New York, New York 10019 (347) 246-4647 [ NOTICE ] TheChocolateCo And Bake Shop LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/20/2019. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 1330 Drake Rd., Brockport, NY 14420. General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] TO THE RESPONDENT YANITZA CASTRO a/k/a YARITZA CASTRO: The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to the Order of the Honorable Dandrea L. Ruhlmann, a Judge of the Family Court of the State of New York. A copy of this Order, along with the Summons, has been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Family Court, County of Monroe, at the Hall of Justice, City of Rochester, New York. The object of this action is to terminate your parental rights to the above-named child. Please note that at the above date and time a hearing will take place. If you do not appear, the case will proceed without you.

Your failure to appear shall constitute a denial of your interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice, in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody or guardianship or in the child’s adoption in this or any subsequent proceeding in which care, custody, guardianship or adoption may be at issue. FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 41

Legal Ads NEW YORK COUNTY OF MONROE DOCKET NO: B-12032-19 SUMMONS In the Matter of the Commitment of Guardianship and Custody, Pursuant to Social Services Law §384-b, of VALERIE LYNETTE POUPARTCASTRO (DOB: 01/21/2003), A Child Under the Age of Eighteen Years Alleged to be Abandoned by YANITZA CASTRO a/k/a YARITZA CASTRO (DOB: 04/26/1978), Respondent.

TO: Yanitza Castro a/k/a Yaritza Castro LKA 740 Hudson Avenue, Rear, Rochester, NY 14621 A petition having been filed with this Court alleging that the abovenamed child In the care and custody of Monroe County Department of Human Services, Division of Social Services should be committed to the guardianship of Monroe County Department of Human Services.

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at the Hall of Justlce, Civic Center Plaza, Rochester, New York on January 21, 2020 at 3:00pm of said day to show cause why the Court should not enter an order committing the guardianship and custody of the child to the petitioning agency.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that if guardianship and custody of the child Is committed to the petitioning agency, the child may be adopted with the consent of the Monroe County Department of Human Services, Division of Social Services and without further consent or notice to you. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you have the right to be represented by an attorney, if the Court finds that you are unable to pay for an attorney, you have the right to have an attorney assigned by the Court.

In the event of your default, the Court will hear and determine the petition as provided by Law. DATED: 10/30/19

BY ORDER OF THE COURT LOREEN NASH Chief Clerk of Family Court Before: Judge Ruhlmann c:MCDHS FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF MONROE DOCKET NO: B-12034-19 NOTICE OF PROCEEDING AFFECTING CHILD’S LEGAL RELATIONSHIP In the Matter of the Commitment of Guardianship and Custody, Pursuant to Social Services Law §384-b, of VALERIE LYNETTE POUPARTCASTRO (DOB: 01/21/2003), A Child Under the Age of Eighteen Years Alleged to be Abandoned by

JOMAR POUPART (DOB: 08/26/1980), Respondent. TO: Yanitza Castro a/k/a Yaritza Castro LKA 740 Hudson Avenue, Rear, Rochester, NY 14621 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the annexed petition affecting the above-named child’s legal relationship to his/ her parent has been presented to the Family Court of the State of New York, Monroe County and that a hearing on the said petition will be held on January 21, 2020 at 3:00 p.m., before the Honorable Dandrea L. Ruhlmann, at which time you will have an opportunity to be heard.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that your failure to appear shall constitute a denial of your interest in the above-named child, which may result, without further notice, in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody, guardianship or in the child’s adoption in the above named proceeding or any subsequent proceeding in which such care, custody, guardianship or adoption may be at issue. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you have the right to be represented by an attorney and if the Court finds that you are unable to pay for an attorney, you have the right to have an attorney assigned by the Court.

Dated: November 4, 2019 Rochester, New York Clerk of the Court, Monroe County Family Court Third Floor, Hall of Justice, Rochester, NY 14614 [ NOTICE ] Tokin Management, LLC. Authority filed SSNY on 11/25/2019 Monroe CO LLC formed Wyoming 10/18/2019 exists 30 N Gould St STE N. Sheridan, WY 82801 . SSNY design agent for process Et shall mail a copy of process to: 763 Linden Ave, Suite 2, Rochester, NY 14625 General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Wraithmarked Creative, LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 11/14/19. Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to 21 Goodway Dr Rochester, NY 14623 General Purpose [ NOTICE ] Wyers Point, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 10/25/2019.

Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Attn: Tricia L. Vantucci, 5 Ampor Beach, Hilton, NY 14468. General Purpose.

To place your ad in the LEGAL section, contact Tracey Mykins by phone at (585) 244-3329 x10 or by email at legals@rochester-citynews.com [ Notice of Formation ] D&T Rents Dansville LLC (“LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with the NY Sec. of State (“SSNY”) on 11/18/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to P.O. Box 92280, Rochester, NY 14692. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] EASTSIDE MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY, LLC filed Articles of Incorporation as a professional service LLC, with the New York Department of State on 11/05/19. Its office is located in Monroe County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the Company upon whom process against it may be served and a copy of any process shall be mailed to The LLC, 625 Panorama Trail, Rochester, NY 14625. The purpose of the LLC is to provide Marriage & Family Therapy. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] FEENEYS AUTO LLC filed Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State on 10/08/2019.

Its office is located in Monroe County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the Company upon whom process against it may be served and a copy of any process shall be mailed to 4992 W Ridge Rd. Spencerport NY 1459.

The purpose of the Company is Automotive repair. [ Notice of Formation ] Gryska Agencies, LLC (“LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with the NY Sec. of State (“SSNY”) on 11/20/19 effective 1/1/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to 1567 East Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14623.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] NAME: Affronti, LLC Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on December 9, 2019. Principal office: Monroe County, New York. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 130 D Linden Oaks, Rochester, NY

42 CITY DECEMBER 25, 2019 - JANUARY 7, 2020

14625 Attn: Member.

Purpose: any and all lawful activities. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] Notice of Formation of 1384 Bellagio LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/3/2019. Office location: Monroe County SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to principal business location: The LLC, 2851 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618. Purpose: any lawful activity [ Notice of Formation ] West General Contractors, LLC (“LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with the NY Sec. of State (“SSNY”) on 1/13/10. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail a copy of process to 37 Richmond St., Rochester, NY 14607.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ Notice of Formation of FRUMUSA PERFORMANCE LLC ] Arts. Of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on July 1, 2019. LLC location: Monroe Co., NY. Princ.

Office of LLC: 498 Manitou Beach Rd., Hilton, NY. 14468; SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Princ. Office of LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ] The name of the Limited Liability Company (LLC) is 950 Reynolds Associates LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on November 1, 2019. Office location is Monroe County, New York. The SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to the LLC at 16 East Main Street, 950 Reynolds Arcade Building, Rochester, New York 14614. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ] The name of the LLC is Echem Tech LLC. The Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on

11/21/19. The LLC office is located in Monroe County. The NY Secretary of State is designated as the agent of the LLC upon whom process may be served, and the address a copy shall be mailed is 3 Fletcher Road Pittsford NY 14534. The LLC is managed by a manager.

The purpose of the LLC is any lawful business. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LLC ] 33-39 Ellicott St, LLC filed articles of organization with the New York Secretary of State on 12/10/2019 with an effective date of formation of 12/10/2019. Its principal place of business is located in Monroe County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served. A copy of any process shall be mailed to 695 Howard Rd., Rochester, NY 14624. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful activity for which Limited Liability Companies may be organized under Section 206 of the New York Limited Liability Company Law. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LLC ] Goaltender Development LLC filed articles of organization with the New York Secretary of State on 11/12/2019 with an effective date of formation of 11/12/2019. Its principal place of business is located in Monroe County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served. A copy of any process shall be mailed to 32 Wilelen Road, Rochester, NY 14624. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful activity for which Limited Liability Companies may be organized under Section 203 of the New York Limited Liability Company Law. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LLC ] WBGL, LLC filed articles of organization with the New York Secretary of State on 12/9/2019 with an effective date of formation of 12/9/2019.

Its principal place of business is located in Monroe County.

The Secretary of State has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served.

A copy of any process shall be mailed to 1755 Gloria Drive, Fairport, NY 14450. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful activity for which Limited Liability Companies may be organized under Section 203 of the New

York Limited Liability Company Law. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF PIERSALL CONSULTING LLC ] Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) on 12/09/2019. Office in Monroe County.

SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to PIERSALL CONSULTING LLC, C/O JEFFREY S. PIERSALL, 720 ADMIRALTY WAY, WEBSTER, NY 145803910. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ Notice of Intent to Acquire Property ] Under Article 5, Section 233.aa of the New York State Education Law, the Rochester Historical Society hereby asserts its intent to acquire title to the following property: Flags: Red Cross flag 8’x11’; US flag 45 stars 1896-1908 5’x8’; US flag 43 stars 6’x12’ 1890-1891; US flag 48 stars 8’x12’; US flag 38 star 18771890 18’x32’; nations of Europe circa 1914 32”x24” quantity 32; Spanish flag 8’x12’.

Clothing: Dress, silk circa 1840; woman’s jacket circa 1860; wedding dress, satin, circa 1865; Dress, silk circa 1865; dress, silk, circa 1870; dress, silk circa 1880; dress, velvet circa 1880; woman’s skirt velvet circa 1880; Woman’s skirt & bodice circa 1890 (6); woman’s skirt and bodice, velvet, circa 1890; woman’s dress, silk circa 1900 (3); Dress, cotton circa 1900 (5); Riding habit, wool circa 1900; dress, cotton circa 1910 (4); woman’s coat, silk 1910 (3); Bodice, velvet circa 1910; dress, silk circa 1910; skirt, cotton circa 1910; woman’s jacket, silk circa 1910 (2); smock, cotton circa 1970; Project Hope uniform circa 1970; cape, wool circa 1920; dress, satin circa 1920 (2); dress, silk circa 1920; dress, cotton circa 1960; overskirt, cotton circa 1900; dressing gown, cotton circa 1900 (2); petticoat, cotton circa 1900; slip, cotton circa 1900 (2); wedding dress, silk & satin circa 1910; child’s apron, cotton circa 1940; child’s slip circa 1880; child’s dress, wool circa 1840 (2); woman’s coat, wool circa 1890; woman’s jacket, cotton circa 1900; woman’s bodice, silk circa 1890; woman’s uniform circa 1940; child’s coat, wool circa 1940; child’s coat,

cotton circa 1950; child’s dress, cotton circa 1900; man’s tux trousers, wool circa 1940 (2); man’s vest, silk & velvet circa 1900 (2); man’s jacket, satin circa 1913; man’s tux with tails, wool circa 1920; man’s tux with tails, wool circa 1960; man’s coat, wool circa 1960; winter overcoat, wool circa 1890; man’s tux with tails, wool circa 1900; man’s trousers, wool circa 1900; man’s formal jacket, wool circa 1960; dress, cotton circa 1960; bodice, wool circa 1916; cape, satin & lace circa 1890; Jacket, wool circa 1860; lace jacket, cotton circa 1900 (2); cape, silk circa 1890 (4); jacket, velvet circa 1890; evening coat, velvet circa 1930 (2); bodice, silk circa 1902; bodice, silk circa 1910; 2 piece waist, satin circa 1870 (2); 2 piece waist, velvet circa 1890; bodice & skirt, wool & velvet circa 1860; wedding dress, satin & lace circa 1940; 2 piece dress, satin circa 1880 (2); military pants, black; Army jacket and pants WWI, uniform, black; sailor suit, blue; British air raid jacket WWII; Objects: cradle circa 1860 L36” H 27.5” W 21”; Carpet bag 14”x20” circa 1860; Wooden bandbox circa 1826, blue with windmill design 19”l 15”w 12”h; hall tree, black iron H 73.5” w 26” d12”; Wicker child’s rocker H24” H24” w14.5”; hobby horse H25” w8” l27”; Rocking chair, black wood H32” L28” W17”; wooden baby carriage L39” W14” H26”; wooden animal carrier L32” W21” H28”; Pedestal table H15”, Dia 21”; library ladder chair H37” W18” D16”; round pedestal table, walnut, H27” D21”; Round pedestal table H25” dia.19”; Metal tub L32” W26” H28”; Desk, pine marked Lewis Platt Smith 1843-1872 L27” W23” H34”; Blanket chest, pine L36” W17” H34”; Table top mirror with drawers L19” W7.7” H20”; 2 bed warmers wood and brass L43” Dia.12”; Smith & Bros. typewriter L14” W14” H13”; Carved end table, oak initial ABD L18” w16” H32”; Stereoscope Alex Becker’s patent #890 L14” 1” H20”; Child’s piano L20” W10” H10”; Gorham flatware chest initialed JMS L25” W18” H9”; melodeon L20” W11.5” H6.5”; Tabernacle mirror L33” W20”Mechanical drawing set with invoice London 1839 L17” W9” H5.5”; Pitcher

and bowl set, ceramic green stripe L15” w8” H 15” & L17” w12” H8”; Compote, ceramic white, pierced L16” W10” H13”; Lamp shade, colored glass H8” Dia 16”; Cut glass vase H.20” Dia9”; black marble clock L9.5” W5.5” H9.5”; Wood black columned clock L9.5” W5” H18”; Picture viewer L6.5” W5” H5.5”; Urn, black and white H8.5” dia5.5”; Small child’s chair slit wood seat 23”H 14”W 11”D; Sewing machine, Wheeler & Wilson makers L16” W12” H13.5”; Ear trumpet L 13”, H4”; marble dog figurine L8” H5”; Mortar and pestle H8.5” Dia5.5”; wooden hay fork H66”; Reed and wood horn L95”; quiver and 10 arrows L27” W8”; wicker rug beater L28”; iron peel L36”; iron fire place hooks L28”; Wooden candle mold L19” W15” D6.5”; waffle iron L37”; Fireplace tongs and poker, silver color L30”; Top of pilaster L27.5” W8.5” H9”; Glass vase with silver feet and handles stamped Tiffany L12” W5” H9”; Wooden doll cradle L18” W16” H14”; wicker picnic basket set L12” W11” H7.5”; Clear glass vase with etchings L6.25” W4.5” H8”; Coffee urn silver plate patented 1866 H19” dia. 8”; McCoy aqua vase H9”; White Wedgewood cover tureen L14” W9” H8”; Hotel desk bell H5”; Images: Stereo views 7”x3.5” various subjects quantity 92; Daguerreotypes various sizes, anon men and women 69; ambrotype various sizes, anon men and women 30; Tin types various sizes anon men and women quantity 66; Chromolithograph anon children quantity 2; Photographs, USgeneral, unidentified people and places 1729; photographs, foreign unidentified places 102; cabinet cards unidentified people and places 204; carte de visite unidentified people 224; US post cards 271; cabinet cards of the 1889 Universele Exposition 1889; Foreign post cards 149; holiday post cards 65; Reines Cathedral post cards 60; If you claim and can demonstrate ownership to this property, you must contact the society in writing to make arrangements to collect the property; send correspondence to William Keeler/Librarian Archivist, Rochester Historical Society, 121 Lincoln Ave., Rochester, NY 14611. If you fail to do so within one hundred eighty (180) days, the museum will

Legal Ads commence proceedings to acquire title to the property. If you wish to commence legal proceedings to claim the property, you should consult an attorney. [ NOTICE] JLT OPERATIONS, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/3/2019.

Office in Monroe Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 140 Floral Dr., Rochester, NY 14617, which is also the principal business location. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. [ SUMMONS AND NOTICE ] SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK – COUNTY OF MONROE INDEX # E2019006716 FILED: 07/19/201 Plaintiff designates Monroe County as the place of trial. Venue is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises are situated. NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff(s), against SHANNON A. YOUNG, ESL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to Plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendant(s). TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until sixty (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT

BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER

ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND

BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT: THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose on a mortgage dated June 01, 2005, executed by SHANNON A. YOUNG to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA) to secure the sum of $79,200.00 and recorded in Book 19702 of Mortgages at page 181, in the Office of the CLERK of the County of MONROE on June 01, 2005, which mortgage was assigned to NEW PENN FINANCIAL LLC DBA SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING N/K/A NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, by assignment of mortgage which was executed on October 17, 2018, covering premises known as 379 FRENCH ROAD, PITTSFORD, NY 14534 (Section 150.16, Block 1 and Lot 16).

ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in Town 64, Township 2, Range 4, Town of Pittsford, County of Monroe, State of New York. The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. J. Scott Odorisi, JSC of the State of New York, and filed along with the supporting papers in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Monroe on 12/18/2019. YOU ARE HEREBY PUT ON NOTICE THAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. There is now due and owing from the Borrower to the Plaintiff, the principal sum of $56,583.55, plus interest thereon

Fun from October 01, 2018, in addition to those accumulated late charges and those recoverable monies advanced by Plaintiff and/or Plaintiff’s predecessor-in-interest on behalf of SHANNON A. YOUNG together with all costs, including but not limited to, attorneys’ fees, disbursements, and further allowances provided pursuant to the underlying loan documents and applicable law in bringing any action to protect the Mortgagee’s interest in the Subject Property. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt described above.

UNLESS YOU DISPUTE THE VALIDITY OF THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER YOUR RECEIPT HEREOF THAT THE DEBT, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, IS DISPUTED, THE DEBTOR JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU AND A COPY OF SUCH VERIFICATION OR JUDGMENT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU BY THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR. IF APPLICABLE, UPON YOUR WRITTEN REQUEST, WITHIN SAID THIRTY (30) DAY PERIOD, THE HEREIN DEBT COLLECTOR WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A DISCHARGE FROM THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT, YOU ARE NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR THE UNDERLYING INDEBTEDNESS OWED TO PLAINTIFF/ CREDITOR AND THIS NOTICE/DISCLOSURE IS FOR COMPLIANCE AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE New York State Law requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the summons and complaint in this foreclosure action, you may lose your home. Please read the summons and complaint carefully. You should immediately contact an attorney or your local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government

agencies and nonprofit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at 1-800-269-0990 or visit the Department’s website at HTTP://WWW. DFS.NY.GOV. Rights and Obligations YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME AT THIS TIME. You have the right to stay in your home during the foreclosure process. You are not required to leave your home unless and until your property is sold at auction pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure and sale. Regardless of whether you choose to remain in your home, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY and pay property taxes in accordance with state and local law. FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home.

There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services.

Leopold & Associates, PLLC, 80 Business Park Drive, Suite 110, Armonk, NY 10504

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