CITY Newspaper, February 12-18, 2020

FEB. 12 2020, VOL. 49 NO. 22

Who’s lighting up Rochester’s skyline?

RPO and the end of the Ward Stare era

Give subtitles a chance

DOWNTOWN, PAGE 5

MUSIC, PAGE 24

FILM, PAGE 32

Feedback CITY welcomes your comments.

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

Only your name and city, town, or village in which you live will be published along with your letter.

Comments of fewer than 500 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print.

We don’t publish comments sent to other media.

ranging? Input and vigilance is needed daily. Well then, a hand written postcard with colored pens, stars, and stickers stands out.

Writing postcards can be done often, and, with luck, an influx of postcards ties up a legislator’s staff member long enough to prompt the legislator to assign more staff to read them all.

Thus, Postcard Fridays.

Postcard-writing is activism, vigilance

Boros is an active participant in Postcard Fridays.

Thank you for your article on Postcard Fridays (“Postcards from the Left ease liberals on the edge,” January 29).

I am proud to have been a member of the group since early 2017. And, yes, as the article pointed out, gathering with friends and neighbors to write to political and business leaders about public issues helps keep me sane.

Postcard Fridays is much more than therapy for liberals, however. The positions we have suggested on issues such as foreign interference in our elections, war making powers, the border wall, tariffs, and online privacy have broad bipartisan support.

Moreover, we now have a president who treats the Constitution, the law, and the truth with contempt.

As a result, Americans across the political spectrum, including conservatives, fear for the future of our democracy.

As the abolitionist Wendell Phillips observed, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The members of Postcard Fridays are being vigilant.

ANTHONY CARTER, ROCHESTER

Postcard Fridays is activism, not therapy. It’s changing minds, not self-actualization.

Postcards make a difference.

We at Postcard Fridays are not naive. We understand 2 CITY

LÁSZLÓ BOROS, ROCHESTER

that influencing American legislators and elections is highly-pyramidal. The most important thing is to have money, lots of it.

Participation in demonstrations is important, too. But it is either so rare, as is the case locally, or so common, like a march in Washington nearly every weekend, that the effect is measured.

Individual action such as visiting legislators and writing editorial page opinion pieces are, by necessity, infrequent or geared to narrow topics.

Long form letters are handled differently in Washington. They go to a central processing facility and are tested for poisons.

This delays receipt by weeks, making timely input very difficult.

Making phone calls is effective, but many people feel uncomfortable doing it.

It takes time to find the right number, and in high-volume situations it is difficult to get through.

E-mailing, which is probably legislators’ preferred method of communication, is just too sterile. It’s hard to stand out. Also, some legislators do not accept e-mail from zip codes outside of their constituencies.

Some of us are doing all of these things. We donate, belong, call, canvass, organize.

But what if, as now, the issues under attack are wide-

FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

PAB member deserves a second chance

Along with many other individuals and organizations, I worked with the Police Accountability Board Alliance to advocate for a civilian oversight group to address the use of excessive force by police officers in Rochester. In an exhaustively researched report, “The Case for an Independent Police Accountability System: Transforming the Civilian Review Process in Rochester, New York,” Barbara LackerWare and Theodore Forsyth presented the community with the facts. From 2002 to 2015, only 2 percent of civilian complaints of unnecessary force were sustained by the chief of police and only 5 percent by the Civilian Review Board; six suspensions were the harshest penalties given; and civil lawsuits cost city taxpayers millions of dollars each year. City residents overwhelmingly approved the creation of the PAB in the November referendum.

Former Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Gary Pudup objected to Miquel Powell’s appointment to the PAB, concluding that “…there are some acts so heinous that they will exclude one from full participation in society” (“Appointment of felon to PAB is troubling,” Feedback,

January 29). This is no doubt true in some cases, when individuals are unable to function safely in that society.

Still, men and women are able to change their lives after incarceration. Mr. Powell served his sentence, completed parole, expressed remorse and significantly reformed his life. He is a parent and a professional contributing to the community in positive ways.

Our society provides innumerable ways to continue to penalize former offenders, including discrimination in housing and employment, marginalization, reincarceration for technical parole violations, and condemnation with the label of “felon.” What is needed is greater opportunity to develop the vocational, social, and emotional skills that allow people to reenter the community as contributing members. Mr. Powell brings an experience and perspective to the PAB that others may not have. Let us encourage his participation.

KATHLEEN FITZPATRICK, PITTSFORD

I feel compelled to respond to Gary Pudup’s letter regarding Miquel Powell’s appointment to the PAB. People who know Miquel cannot help but admire his kindness, commitment, perseverance, and initiative.

His Reentry and Community Development Center on North Street demonstrates just that. The organization supports formerly incarcerated people, who are often overwhelmed and destitute, re-entering society.

The criticism also dismisses the due diligence of those who nominated him, the Police Accountability Board Alliance team, who rigorously interviewed candidates, and the Rochester City Council,

who ratified his selection.

Miguel was able to not only to survive our broken incarceration system, but to seize opportunities for selfreflection, education, and ultimately, give back. Miguel’s life is an example of how rehabilitation is supposed to work. Every formerly incarcerated individual who demonstrates this type of initiative should be assumed to be capable to succeed and afforded opportunities to do so.

MARY HAMMELE, PENFIELD

Regarding former Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Gary Pudup’s thoughts on the appointment of Miquel Powell to the Police Accountability Board, everyone can reform and deserves a second chance.

Mr. Powell served his time for his crime and was released.

People can and do change. He has just as much right today as anyone else to do what he believes in and participate on the PAB board.

AMY MINCER, ROCHESTER

Romney is no hero

In voting to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power, Mitt Romney became the first senator in history to vote to remove a president from his own party in an impeachment trial.

The TV news pundits described the speech he gave prior to his vote as “emotional” and labeled him a hero. What baloney! What Romney had was vengeance toward a president he hates for dissing him and not choosing him as secretary of state.

As a Democrat and a staunch Trump disdainer, I was thrilled with Romney’s vote. But give me a break. He was not heroic. What silliness.

I’m getting so tired of the drama on both sides.

JILLIAN GRUBER, ROCHESTER

News. Arts. Life.

Greater Rochester’s Alternative Newsweekly February 12-18, 2020 Vol 49 No 22 On the cover: Graphic by Ryan Williamson 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: Amanda Chestnut, Adam Lubitow, Emily Hessney Lynch, Ron Netsky, David Raymond, Declan Ryan, Leah Stacy, Chris Thompson, 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 Advertising consultant/ 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.

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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: $50. Refunds for fewer than ten months cannot be issued. Copyright by Rochester Area Media Partners LLC, 2020 - 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.

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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK | COMMENTARY BY DAVID ANDREATTA

If I were mayor . . .

Mayor Lovely Warren is launching an “If I Were Mayor” essay contest that asks eighth-graders to describe how they would create more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods, and better educational opportunities in Rochester if they were in her seat.

I’m not an eighth-grader, but I have a kid that age at home, so here goes nothing:

The gravel patch known as Parcel 5. FILE PHOTO

If I were mayor, I would concede defeat to Parcel 5 and admit that no developer who isn’t under indictment wants eight acres of shovelready prime real estate in the heart of my city.

My concession speech would be a public affair on location, delivered against the backdrop of hundreds of pallets of sod. The entire city would be invited to cry “Uncle!” in unison and lay down a strip of 2-feet-by-5feet grass for a suggested donation of $2.

Proceeds would go toward a contract with the artists Shawn Dunwoody, who devised the piano crosswalk at Main and Gibbs streets, and Mike Dellaria, famous for his wheat-paste murals of Mr. Rogers and Spock on I-490 overpasses. I wouldn’t commission anything from them. I’d just let them do their thing and trust they’d make the city cooler.

Count me among those people who wanted Parcel 5 developed vertically. But after six years of staring at that grim and depressing gravel patch that only comes to life intermittently for festivals and impromptu Wiffle ball games, the need to beautify it has become obvious.

The parcel seems destined to be a yearround entertainment space and the city is pursuing state funding to make that happen. Considering how long it has taken to get nothing done there, however, a facelift is in order while we’re waiting for money to materialize.

Speaking of facelifts, as mayor I would rally federal, state, and business leaders to secure grants to fill in the rest of the Inner Loop.

That stretch of sunken highway is a relic of antiquated urban planning that’s choking off city neighborhoods from easy access to downtown. Lose the cars and set aside a few square blocks for a pedestrian mall.

While we’re on the subject of downtown, let’s drop this “center city” nonsense already and call downtown what it is — downtown.

Officials have tried shoehorning “center city” into our lexicon for two decades now, and it isn’t sticking. It’s like “The College at Brockport” and “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” Everyone knew they were SUNY Brockport and Prince.

Rochester should stick to its roots, but not dwell on them. The city has an unhealthy relationship with nostalgia. We live in a paradox of perpetually awaiting change while stubbornly refusing to let go of yesteryear.

That’s got to stop.

What also must be stopped are those motorcyclists who ride their crotch-rockets full throttle in the wee hours of the morning.

I haven’t devised a fitting punishment for them yet, but it would be such that they would only offend once.

Perhaps the answer is an old-fashioned public shaming. We could perp-walk them onto the remade Parcel 5, where they would be put into stockades alongside landlords who don’t provide their tenants with adequate heat.

Marketed properly, the spectacle would be a huge draw. With the influx of continues on page 9 rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 3

[ NEWS IN BRIEF ]

Cuomo sets elections

Governor Andrew Cuomo has already declared a special election to fill the newly-vacant 136th District state Assembly seat. It’ll take place on April 28, the same day as New York’s presidential primary.

The seat was held by Democrat Jamie Romeo, who was in her first term, until last week when Cuomo appointed her to the vacant Monroe County clerk position. Romeo had already announced that she was running for the clerk seat and had secured the party’s designation. She faces a primary from Jennifer Boutte, the director of development and community engagement for CDS Life Transitions.

Two Democrats have stepped forward to run for Assembly seat, which covers Irondequoit, Brighton, and parts of the city. One is Justin Wilcox, a county legislator who was Romeo’s legislative director, and the other is Sarah Clark, who works as deputy state director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s office and was the head of former Senator Hillary Clinton’s Rochester office.

Cuomo also declared an April 28 special election for the 27th Congressional District seat, which has been vacant since disgraced

News

Republican Chris Collins resigned from it in September. Collins has since pleaded guilty to insider trading-related charges.

Democratic leaders are backing Nate McMurray, the former supervisor of Grand Island in Erie County, while Republican leaders endorsed state Senator Chris Jacobs.

HEALTH | BY BRETT DAHLBERG

Vape rules loophole allows for sale of flavors

Money troubles persist for RCSD

Even after a blistering round of mid-year staff cuts, The Rochester City School District will still be approximately $35 million short at the end of this budget year, predicts Superintendent Terry Dade.

The district is asking the state to help it plug the hole by fronting it $35 million.

The request has received support from Assembly member David Gantt, though he wants the state to impose fiscal monitors on the district as a condition of the assistance.

If the district gets the $35 million, it still won’t be the end of its money troubles.

Dade said he expects the 2020-21 budget to have a $55 to $60 million gap.

The district is eyeing a structural change that could save it over $4 million on an annual basis, Dade said.

That plan would consolidate 500 pre-k slots at schools 57 and 44.

A loophole in FDA rules means disposable flavored vape products are still on store shelves.

PHOTO BY IRFAN RAHMAN

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU AND A FRIEND ARE GOING TO SEE Courtney Klee Rachel Gordon Carol Bonczyk Kristin Young Veronica Leone MORE INFO @ http://www.blackfriars.org/next-to-normal 4 CITY

FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

When the federal Food and Drug Administration announced last month it was stepping up enforcement of its rules against flavored vape products, agency officials said the goal was to eliminate the products’ appeal to young people.

The FDA specifically named fruit and mint flavors as drivers of e-cigarettes use among youths.

But many of those flavors are still available in vape shops.

That’s because disposable e-cigarettes are not covered under the FDA’s enforcement priorities.

Buried in a footnote on the ninth page of a document the agency prepared to guide vaping industry leaders through the new rules, the FDA carved out an exemption for disposable products.

Sold under brand names like Puff Bar and Hyde, disposable e-cigarettes are widely available in Rochester vape shops. They come in flavors like “Pineapple Lemonade”, “Banana Ice,” and mango and mint.

As the “disposable” label implies, the vapes are meant to be discarded

after the nicotine-laced liquid inside them runs out.

Irfan Rahman, who runs a lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center that studies e-cigarettes, said a growing number of people who come to URMC with vaping-related lung injuries report using disposable products.

“We don’t know if these are popular with kids yet,” he said. “But we are seeing less and less of Juul and more and more of these disposable products.”

If teen use of disposable products grows, Rahman said, “it defeats the purpose” of the FDA’s rules.

The FDA said the non-disposable products that are covered under its enforcement priorities have been the most popular among youth.

Still, the agency left room to shift the focus of its rules.

“Let us be clear,” FDA spokesperson Michael Felderbaum wrote in an email, “under this policy, if we see a product that is targeted to kids, we will take action.”

Brett Dahlberg is a health reporter at WXXI, a media partner of CITY. He can be reached at bdahlberg@wxxi.org.

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DOWNTOWN | BY GINO FANELLI

Meet the people who light up Rochester’s skyline Sitting in the lobby of a downtown Rochester office building on South Clinton Avenue on a gloomy February morning, a man in a grey sweater pulls out his cell phone and goes to work. He taps the screen and a gradient color wheel appears. He slides the wheel to green.

Across the street, the trim and spire of the Legacy Tower, the old Bausch and Lomb building, changes color.

“It’s a little hard to see in the daytime, but now it’s lit up green,” he said.

In recent months, there has been a sense of whimsy and coordination in the glow of the colored lights atop the city’s highest towers. In January, they shone a calming blue. Over the holiday season, the towers took on a festive flair with tones of red and green.

Their soft, luminescent kiss to the Rochester skyline has many wondering who is behind the lights.

His name is Mark Glickman, the head of facilities at Buckingham Properties, the development company that owns many of downtown’s most recognizable structures, and an app on his phone is the switch that lights up the night.

Illuminating the skyline was the brainchild of Amy Olds, the company’s head of marketing. She initially coordinated lights on Buckingham

buildings, including Tower280, the Legacy Tower, and 100 South Clinton.

Then, in October, she launched Lights on ROC, an initiative involving an informal agreement with other city building owners to encourage Rochester to glow in tandem. One East Avenue, Three City Center, and City Hall have all jumped on board in aligning their lights to convey different messages, memorials, and celebrations.

The blue in January, for example, represented colo-rectal cancer awareness. The lights will turn red next week in honor of Susan B. Anthony’s 200th birthday, which lands on February 15.

“This all happened very organically,” Olds said. “Most of the modern buildings downtown already have the ability to do this, so it was just a matter of getting them all to work together.”

From the Lights on Roc website (lightsonroc.com), people can submit their choice for the next color the buildings will light up.

“It’s one of those cool little things that gets the community involved,” Olds said.

The ColorKinetics LED system used in the towers is similar to any other smart home lighting system. Some of the buildings have large, LED light fixtures which light up the tops of the towers,

while others have thin light strips wrapping around their exteriors.

“It’s amazing just how thin those strips are and how much they light up,” Glickman said.

While the coordinated lighting started in fall, many of the buildings have had the ability to light up different colors for several years.

The Rundel Memorial Library was one of the first to receive a color-programmable exterior LED system. In September 2014, the library lit up blue in homage to slain Rochester Police Officer Darryl Pierson.

When a color is chosen, Glickman sets the lights to a timer on his phone that turns them on from “dusk until dawn.”

For Rochester, Lights on Roc was an initiative that played right into the hands of revitalization initiatives like ROC the Riverway, albeit with little input from the government.

“This isn’t a thing that’s regulated in anyway, but we’re really glad to be a part of,” said Justin Roj, a City Hall spokesperson.

“Amy had this idea to let people over time give the city a different color, and we already had all of the required equipment to do it here at City Hall.”

Glickman’s day job involves managing Buckingham’s large downtown buildings

Mark Glickman, head of facilities at Buckingham Properties, shows the app he uses to control the lights on some of Buckingham's properties. PHOTO BY RYAN WILLIAMSON

and parking garages. It is largely a behindthe-scenes effort, making the lights the most visible aspects of his work.

He personally sees them every night from the window of his home in Tower280. They are a subtle touch that he said makes a major impact in the atmosphere of downtown.

“The dynamic of downtown has changed a lot in the past five years, with all of the festivals and everything,” Glickman said.

“When people come down here now, it looks like a vibrant city and not just a bunch of dark buildings at night.”

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

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CITY 5

HISTORY | BY BETH ADAMS

Unearthing the forgotten stories of Mt. Hope Cemetery On a winter morning, it is peaceful at Mt. Hope Cemetery. A blanket of snow covers the ground. A few people walk dogs.

The only noise is the sound of the snow crunching under foot.

Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved the lofty ridges and bucolic valleys that cut through the 196 acres of the cemetery, much like the lives of the people buried in its hilly landscape shaped the city’s history.

“There are over 300,000 people here and I tell people there are 300,000 stories,” Marilyn Nolte, of the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery, said on a tour of the grounds. “Look at the gravestone that says ‘gone and not forgotten,’ but the truth is, it’s ‘gone and soon forgotten’ for most people, and that’s sad.”

Nolte has unearthed some of those forgotten stories in “Beyond These Gates: Mountains of Hope in Rochester’s AfricanAmerican History,” a book she co-authored with Verdis Robinson, a scholar of AfricanAmerican history.

The book seeks to ensure that black Rochester residents who escaped slavery, fought in wars, and broke down barriers, are not simply remembered, but serve as an inspiration.

There was Charles Lunsford, for instance. He was Rochester’s first licensed African-American physician, having started his medical practice here on Clarissa Street in 1921.

“He had graduated first, top in his medical school from Howard University, but here, they blocked him from being able to practice medicine with his patients in the hospital,” said Carolyne Blount, who researched many of the stories featured in the book.

But Lunsford persisted in the face of discrimination. He is widely credited with overturning the nationwide American Red Cross’s racist policy prohibiting black people from donating blood, by recruiting a group of light-skinned African-Americans who passed for white, to make donations.

Lunsford then reported his stunt to the Democrat and Chronicle, which forwarded Lunsford’s letter to the organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Within days, Red Cross officials turned up in Rochester and announced a policy change allowing black people to give blood.

“The doctors and professionals like that and the clergy people, they were self-employed, so you didn’t have that 6 CITY

FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Ferdinand Cunningham is buried in the Civil War section of Mount Hope Cemetery. Cunningham survived the battle at Fort Wagner as a member of the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry. After returning to Rochester, he became a barber and was on the committee to dedicate a statute to Frederick Douglass, the first in the United States dedicated to an African-American. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

Carolyne Blount, left, researched many of the stories featured in “Beyond These Gates: Mountains of Hope in Rochester’s African-American History,” a book Marilyn Nolte, right, co-authored with African-American history scholar Verdis Robinson. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

The gravestone of Charles Lunsford, Rochester's first licensed African-American physician. Lunsford is credited with getting the American Red Cross to overturn a racist policy that prohibited black people from donating blood. PHOTO BY MAX SCHULTE

fear of, ‘Oh, I might get fired from my job if I speak up.’ That’s what gave them the freedom to be the activists that they were,” Blount explained.

Mt. Hope is the final resting place of many African American pioneers.

Thomas Boyde was Rochester’s first black architect. His works can still be spotted across the city and its suburbs. He helped design the Strathallan Hotel, the Rundel Public Library, and Monroe Community Hospital.

Among his contributions to the hospital were gargoyles poised on the exterior, a feature that exists to this day and for which he was denied credit for nearly 60 years.

Many of those interred at Mt. Hope earned their living in more humble ways, but their stories are no less compelling.

Striving for racial equality was the focus of Jacob Morris’s life. He was born a free man in 1808 and helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom in Canada through the Underground Railroad. By day, Morris worked as a barber at a Rochester hotel. His wealthy, white clients unwittingly gave him valuable information.

“He could hear the gossip as to where the slave owners were, who was coming to town,” Blount said.

Decades later, in 1903, Solomon Young made a name for himself when he relocated to Rochester from North Carolina. He lived at a prestigious address — 900 East Avenue — where he was employed as George Eastman’s butler and valet.

Young is believed to be the first African American in Rochester to own a car.

“Yeah, it was a convertible,” Blount laughed.

About 30 years after he started working for the founder of Eastman Kodak, Young became inextricably linked to the city’s history in a tragic way when, in 1932, he discovered the body of George Eastman after he had taken his life in his mansion.

Mt. Hope, of course, is the final resting place of several iconic figures, including Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony.

One family in Rochester today traces its roots to another of the most historic figures buried at Mt. Hope in Nathan Sprague, the husband of Rosetta Douglass, the daughter of Frederick.

Jacqueline Sprague Cooper and Katherine Sprague Dexter are great-great nieces to Sprague. Katherine said she and her sister heard about the family history since their childhood, but didn’t grasp the significance of it until they were older.

“Then it started hitting us, I mean, almost like a slap in the face,” she said. “Do you realize the significance of it?”

Like Douglass, Nathan and Rosetta Sprague were committed to social justice.

Jacqueline said if she could talk today to her great-great uncle Nathan, she would thank him for his strength and dignity.

“It’s carried on through the generations,” she said.

The Spragues are empowered by their family’s history. It has inspired their relatives’ forays into the fields of law enforcement, real estate, medicine, and education. They remain committed to the family’s centuries old values of social service and advocacy through volunteer work.

Learning through legacy is what Nolte and Blount hope the book teaches.

“I think that reading history and knowing what your forefathers and others have contributed...if you have that within you,” Blount said, “I think it gives you courage to go forward and make changes yourself that are positive.”

If the Mt. Hope Cemetery stories have one enduring message, it may be to simply carry on.

Beth Adams is a reporter at WXXI, a media partner of CITY. She can be reached at badams@ wxxi.org. rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 7

Dining & Nightlife Brunch brew [ BEER ] BY GINO FANELLI

As fashionable as kettle sour ales — liberally infused with a cornucopia of fruit puree — are in the craft beer world, they’re still not Nate Kester’s cup of tea.

In fact, Kester never brewed one in the eight years he was home brewing before coming onboard as head brewer at Irondequoit Beer Company. It’s become clear, however, that they’re what the kids want, and Kester is happy to oblige.

“There’s a lot of fun stuff you can do with these beers, they let you experiment a bit and be creative,” Kester says.

On Thursday, February 6, Kester released his second sour out of Irondequoit’s fivebarrel brew house. Dubbed Permanent Waves, it’s a modest 4.5 percent sour brew flanked by 125 pounds of blood orange and 150 pounds of mango puree. The result is a sweet, tart and decisively citrusy beer that hints at a pleasantly upscale variant of the fabled beverage from Beastie Boys lore, the Brass Monkey.

It’s a fitting follow up to Kester’s first sour release, Berried Alive, a similarlybased beer packed with blackberries, boysenberries, and blueberries.

“It’s just a really good brunch beer,” Kester says of Permanent Waves. “It’s pretty light and super easy-drinking.”

At Irondequoit, a one-of-a-kind partnership with Ridge Donuts lets visitors pair sweet with their sour. Irondequoit offers donut pairings with several of their beers, and for Permanent Waves, the beloved I-Town pastry purveyors cooked up an orange vanilla glazed doughnut available only at the brewery.

“People have been going into the store and asking if they had the doughnut,” says Wendy Nolan of the I-Square development the brewery is based in. “But nope, that’s just here and just for us.”

While not quite delicate, Permanent Waves is a beer hiding some subtle notes of zest and earth underneath its fructoseladen exterior. It’s an approachable beer that also throws a bone or two for craft beer nerds to chew on. That’s right in the sweet spot for Kester.

“I think that’s one of the hardest things — brewing a beer that both people who are way into the craft scene and people who might not even like beer can pick up and drink,” Kester says.

8 CITY

FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Clockwise from top left: vegetarian dumplings, fried vegetarian spring rolls with thai chili sauce, dan dan noodles with pork and bok choi, and scallion pancackes. PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

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Have you ever lived in a place for a long time, and then mere days before you were about to move away, you met who you thought might be the love of your life? I just got that feeling last week, but for food.

My day job as an engineer has had me working in Henrietta for the last six years.

Amid all the big box stores and tech villages, there are hidden gems of fantastic food from around the world. I can think of at least five Indian restaurants that have food from five different regions of India. There are Dominican restaurants and a Turkish cafe,

Malaysian and Nepali restaurants. There are at least three Chinese buffets nearby. Within 10 minutes, I can dine on entrees from any continent, except Antarctica, of course.

Penguins are terrible chefs. I could steal away from work, go to any of these places, and be back at my desk within 45 minutes.

One thing that was missing from Henrietta’s international culinary repertoire was a place dedicated to dumplings, specifically the iconic steamed buns called Xiao Long Bao, which are filled with hot broth, leeks, and a protein (usually chicken or pork). Finally, a dumpling restaurant, appropriately named Dumpling House, opened up a mere seven minutes from my job — just before my whole company was about to move its offices 20 minutes away.

Dumpling House is located in Jefferson Plaza in the spot formerly occupied by Mighty Taco. The space had been seemingly dormant for a year since they left, but behind the shuttered doors, a family was renovating

the interior to make way for a new restaurant.

Manager Kristie Duong said she and her family worked for months to restructure the dining room layout and rebuild the kitchen from bottom to top. The only recognizable remnant of the old space is the checkout counter that you see upon entry.

Dumpling House is the brainchild of Rebecca Le, who says she has always wanted to have her own restaurant. She enjoys cooking and her passion for her art can be seen and tasted in every bite. Everything on the menu is made upon ordering, nothing is frozen.

The dough for the dumplings is made every day from scratch. You can be assured that the vegetables in your dumplings or spring rolls were just cut and folded into their doughy envelopes. There is nothing like freshly made food for lunch. And besides the deliciousness, I was in and out in less than 30 minutes.

The first thing I ordered were vegetable spring rolls ($4 for two). They were fried, but light and crisp. Even the dipping sauce was

If I were mayor continues from page 3

light and tangy, unlike some less-than-great sauces that tend to taste like zesty syrup.

The vegetarian dumplings ($7) come in a set of eight, and they come piping hot, so don’t be like me and try to down one as soon as they come to your table. My tongue and throat have not yet forgiven me.

Once I settled from the initial pain of the first hot dumpling, I waited a minute for the rest to cool down. This also gave me time to appreciate the aesthetic. These were made seconds after I ordered them.

Yes, they were the half-moon shaped dumplings I can get anywhere, but to see that they were made by hand and pinched and sealed with such care made me appreciate them more.

The Bao Zi ($7 for three, choose pork, chicken, beef, vegetarian, or red bean) are what I thought would be just steamed buns, but they were so much more. What I saw on the plate were three buns sealed in a manner that they almost looked threaded or braided together. How did they make something look that good so quickly? And they tasted as good as they looked. Paired with the chili sauce that I was given to dip them in, this was a welcome treat. I got the vegetarian ones, but I imagine the chicken and the pork are just as robust and savory in their own way.

But the items that I came for were the Xiao Long Bao ($7), the soupy dumplings I’ve been craving. My server presented the six-piece entree in a bamboo steamer. They looked like sculpted porcelain teardrops, each the size of a golf ball. And each bite literally burst with flavor. Have a spoon ready — the dumplings have a good amount of soup broth and meat in them. Looking at all the food before me, I felt like a museum curator appreciating the brush strokes on a canvas or the attention to detail chiseled into a piece of marble.

As I finished my meal, I realized that this might be my last lunch there for a while. Or I’ll have to concoct a few reasons for taking an extra 20 minutes for lunch, after the office move. In the meantime, I’ll be packing up my desk, tearfully listening to Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” while I think about my meal at Dumpling House.

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

tourists, we could convince Monroe County to allocate a portion of hotelmotel tax revenue to the arts, for which permanent funding is sorely needed.

Spectators could picnic on the new lawn and pelt the guilty with their lunch leftovers. No need to clean up afterward; the 25,000 crows that roost downtown will take care of that.

Those birds are part of our city now. We ought to embrace them. The yearly fruitless attempts to scare them off would end under my mayoralty, and the crow would become the official bird, replacing the eagle holding the “Flower City” ribbon on the city seal.

Unscrupulous landlords are the worst.

Too many city residents pay too much to live in squalid conditions. The new housing court should help keep bad-apple landlords in check, but what’s really needed is rent control.

The city has embarked on a vacancy survey of certain housing stock that could lead to limits on rent hikes if the vacancy rate is found to be below 5 percent. My administration would make sure that happens, even if it meant hiring developer Bob Morgan’s son and nephew to stage apartments to appear occupied. They could place shoes outside doors like they did at their other properties to trick banks into lending them money they didn’t need.

Because you know who needs money?

Poor people. A third of all city residents live in poverty.

If I were mayor, I would give poor people money. No strings attached. Public assistance benefits are administered through the county, but any chance I get to dispense funding for needy people, I would see to it that the money went directly to them.

Enough with the bureaucratic stewards of anti-poverty funds who think they know what poor people need. All they know how to do is get indicted, it seems. Poor people know what poor people need. Studies have shown they can and do spend wisely when given the chance, unlike the Rochester City School District.

On that note, I would relentlessly pursue state legislation to blow up the Board of Education and put the district under City Hall. The buck would stop with me and not a board of incessant micromanagers who can’t stop driving superintendents out of town and running up deficits.

Of course, none of this would be easy to accomplish. Then again, neither is becoming mayor.

David Andreatta is CITY’s editor. He can be

Grammy Award winner

An Evening in Granada

Jason Vieaux

The guitar music of Spain Saturday, March 21, 2020 The Hochstein Performance Hall

www.jasonvieaux.eventbright.com • Tickets on sale now

reached at dandreatta@rochester-citynews.com. rochestercitynewspaper.com

CITY 9

10 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Love Languages [ INTRODUCTION ] BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER AND REBECCA RAFFERTY

It’s that time of year when love — or the commercialization of love — is in the air. Can you feel it? We can at CITY, and we’re delighted to present our first-ever Sex, Love & Relationships issue. We hope it helps get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day, or at least get through the holiday.

There is, of course, a roundup of ideas for romantic outings and date nights. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill list of tired, stereotypical gestures.

Declan Ryan points you toward some signature Rochester locations and activities that sometimes get overlooked around Valentine’s Day. If you’re seeking heart-melting pastimes that defy convention, you’ve come to the right place, at page 14. Also, we offer some practical health resources and services to help you stay safe out there in the dating world (page 20).

For more great insight into sex and relationships, on page 18, Amanda Chestnut speaks to local inclusive sex educator and yoga instructor Jenna Weintraub about her work in helping to cultivate body confidence, positive sexual self-expression, and environments of communication and support.

Contemporary romance novels can be a surprising source of enlightenment when it comes to the all-important issue of consent. Emily Hessney Lynch provides healthy examples of mutually enthusiastic encounters and clear communication in literature on page 12.

Though often misunderstood, tarot cards can be used as an effective tool for self-reflection and thoughtful approaches to romance and relationships.

On page 16, Music Editor Daniel Kushner and tarot reader Fayebriel Barrette discuss how tarot can give you clarity on your love life, as well as some tips for those looking to get into reading cards.

If none of the above resonates with where you’re at, and you’re blissfully unattached, CITY staff writer Gino Fanelli sings the praises of intentioned singledom on page 17.

And for exclusive, reader-generated playlists of Rochester songs about love and despair, go to rochestercitynewspaper.com. Here’s to feelin’ the love!

Daniel J. Kushner and Rebecca Rafferty form the arts and music editorial squad at CITY Newspaper. They can be reached dkushner@rochester-citynews.com and becca@rochester-citynews.com. rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 11

Safe sparKs Exploring enthusiastic consent in romance novels [ ROUND-UP] BY EMILY HESSNEY LYNCH

While romance novels of the past had a reputation for being “bodice rippers,” featuring manly men often violently pursuing sexual conquests, the genre has transformed in recent years. Current authors in the genre are importantly incorporating consent into relationships and sex scenes.

Consent doesn’t have to be decidedly unsexy. In fact, it can be written romantically, and it can be hot. Here we’ve rounded up eight great examples of enthusiastic consent written into steamy scenes.

Emily Hessney Lynch is freelancer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@rochester-citynews.com. she even finished speaking the word.” This moment of consent is critical, because it shifts the power to Chloe. She has the power to say no when she’s not ready for physical intimacy.

Hibbert does an excellent job building tension and longing between the characters.

When we arrive at the pivotal, penetrative moment, instead of Red asking for Chloe’s consent, she proactively asks for what she wants, clearly showing Red her enthusiasm: “Not to ruin this very romantic moment, but would you possibly consider fucking me now?” she asks. There’s clarity, excitement, and enthusiasm on both of their parts.

Alex truly wants to do this and isn’t being forced. “You don’t have to” he begins.

But Alex responds, “No, I want to...I just need you to tell me if it’s awful,” and proceeds with enthusiasm.

As their sexual adventures continue, so too do the moments of consent. When Henry proposes they try anal for the first time together, the need for mutual consent is key. When Henry brings it up, Alex asks, “You sure?” Henry replies, “I know we haven’t… But, er. I have, before, so, I can show you.” Alex is on board, but double checks to make sure it’s what Henry wants, asking “But you want me to?” to which Henry replies, “Yes. Absolutely.” For an experience that’s new to them as partners, they ensure that they are both fully committed before diving in.

In Etter’s experimental style, she follows some chapters with a section labeled “VISION,” in which Cassie reimagines moments from her life. In her vision after the rape, Jarred pursues her with tenderness.

This time around, he asks “Can I touch you?” waiting for her affirmative nod before he proceeds. As he unzips his pants, he asks again, “Is this OK?” and she nods once more, leaning into him with pleasure.

Etter’s depiction of the consent version of the scene shows the early blossoming of trust and respect, instead of the consent-less version, where Cassie is violated.

“Get a Life, Chloe Brown”

by Talia Hibbert Talia Hibbert’s 2019 debut features digital marketing consultant Chloe Brown, who lives with fibromyalgia, falling in love with Red Morgan, who is recovering from an abusive relationship. With deep-seated traumas as part of the identity of both characters, communication and consent are crucial.

The first time Chloe and Red are about to get intimate, Red holds her hand, kisses her jaw, and murmurs, “Chloe, I want to kiss you.

Can I kiss you?” It’s a sweet moment, but for Chloe: “Sensation spiked between her legs...

She was melting for him...She. Was. Losing.

Control.” Control is a big thing for her, so she “made herself whisper, ‘Stop.’” That’s all it takes. “He obeyed her the same way he did everything: calm, easy, as though it had been his idea. His mouth left her skin before 12 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

“Red, White & Royal Blue”

by Casey McQuiston Casey McQuiston’s debut made a splash in 2019, with its hilarious and romantic story of the First Son falling in love with the Prince of Wales. McQuiston builds in moments of consent throughout the book. The first time Alex and Henry hook up, Henry asks, “How do you want to do this?” Alex’s reply is, “Get on the couch.”

In response, “Henry’s breath hitches and he complies.” But the two talk to each other about how they want to start their romp. Alex is ready but is less experienced as he’s only recently realized he’s bi. “I’ve actually never done this before,” he says.

Henry gives him an out, making sure that

“The Book of X” by Sarah Rose Etter Content warning: rape Sarah Rose Etter’s 2019 novel “The Book of X” is a work of experimental fiction that starkly contrasts sex without consent and sex with it. Cassie is an outcast at school and Jarred has taken a twisted interest in her. She brings him to her family’s farm, where he aggressively initiates sex.

When he asks her if it’s too much, she nods affirmatively, but he disregards her response and assaults her.

“The Bride Test” by Helen Hoang Helen Hoang’s second novel “The Bride Test” (2019) follows Khai Diep, who has autism and falls in love with Esme Tran. In this novel, consent takes on even more significance due to Khai’s autism. Khai is extraordinarily sensitive to light touch and cannot tolerate being touched on the bellybutton. The first time they have sex, Esme is too nervous to touch him anywhere, worried she’ll upset him.

The second time, they pause to lay out the ground rules. “The place I’m asking you not to touch is… my bellybutton,” Khai tells her.

She asks, “I won’t touch you there. I promise.

But… I can touch you everywhere else?” He tells her yes, and ground rules laid, they’re able to proceed as two consenting adults who understand each others’ needs.

“The Wedding Date”

by Jasmine Guillory Jasmine Guillory’s 2018 novel “The Wedding Date” incorporates many noncringey moments of consent. Alexa Monroe meets Drew Nichols when they get trapped in an elevator together, and she ends up tagging along with him to a wedding as his date. Guillory is known for doing a damn sexy job writing consent, and her first book is no exception.

The first time Drew and Alexa have sex, they’re just starting to get frisky in their hotel room when he stops and says, “Tell me what you want.” She hesitates, and he presses her: “Do you want this, Alexa?” He won’t proceed until he has confirmation that she wants to move forward. She replies, “You know I do,” pushing herself against him. “Then tell me what you want me to do to you,” he replies.

She smiles and tells him, “Kiss me.” Drew repeatedly asks her what she wants, constantly asking for consent and ways to please her.

“You know I want to hear you say it,” he tells her. With open and clear communication from the get-go, their partnership is off to a great start.

“Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune” by Roselle Lim Roselle Lim’s 2019 debut “Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune” is categorized as women’s fiction and magical realism, but it interweaves elements of romance and consent.

Natalie moves home to San Francisco after her mother’s death, works to reopen her grandmother’s restaurant, and falls in love along the way.

Our previous examples have showcased verbal consent, but it’s also possible to consent nonverbally. A nod, pulling someone closer, actively touching someone, or initiating sexual activity can all be considered consent.

Consent is not passive and silent; it should be clear and enthusiastic. In Lim’s novel, most moments of consent are quiet, but clear.

When Natalie and her love interest Daniel kiss, he leans across the table; “I inched closer,” Natalie reports. The magical realism elements of Lim’s writing underscore each romantic moment, with “bubbles hovering in the air [exploding] into miniscule fireworks... bursting into stars.”

“The Chai Factor” by Farah Heron Farah Heron’s 2019 debut follows graduate student Amira Khan and barbershop quartet singer Duncan Galahad, an unlikely pairing.

Despite their initial distaste for each other, after a guitar lesson, sharing some Indian food, and a few glasses of bourbon, Duncan and Amira are ready for a full-blown make out session.

As Duncan gently starts to kiss Amira, he pauses and asks, “This okay, Amira?” She responds, “No. I suspect you can do better than that,” then “she pressed herself closer to his hard body and curled her arms around the back of his head, scraping her fingernails through his hair.” In this situation, Duncan stops to verbally ask for consent, and Amira gives him both a verbal and a nonverbal answer. She encourages him, both in what she asks for and in her physical response.

“Royal Holiday”

by Jasmine Guillory Guillory’s latest, “Royal Holiday” (2019), highlights the fact that consent is important at any age. Malcolm and Vivian are in their 50s, and meet while Vivian is on vacation in England. They have an awkward false start.

Malcolm pulls his car over to kiss Vivian, and she doesn’t kiss back initially. He stops immediately and rapidly apologizes: “I’m sorry, I thought… Did you not?” But “she grinned, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned forward. ‘Oh, I did.’”

Sometimes it’s hard to read each other’s intentions, sometimes there are moments of hesitation. In those moments, it’s important to pause to give the other person a moment to respond. If they don’t respond enthusiastically, as Vivian did, then you respect that and stop.

Once they’re ready to have sex in Vivian’s hotel room, she takes the initiative. Physical and verbal cues confirm the direction things are going. Here, Guillory deftly illustrates that consent is an ongoing process. Good partners are sensitive to each other’s needs and wants, and check in regularly to make sure both parties are enjoying themselves. There’s nothing awkward about consent here, it’s just two adults communicating, happy and satisfied.

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rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 13

Save the date Alternative options for your Valentine’s Day [ DATE NIGHT ] BY DECLAN RYAN

Declan Ryan is a freelancer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@rochester-citynews.com.

I’ve known plenty of reasonable people who object to Valentine’s Day. Some say it’s too commercialized. Some call it lame. Some argue that there is no reasonable link between the 3rd-century martyrdom of Saint Valentine by Claudius Gothicus and today’s heart-shaped harbingers of high blood sugar.

To them I say, sure, it’s perfectly arbitrary. But every holiday is arbitrary in its own way. The Revolutionary War started long before July 4, and the New Testament makes no mention of any Easter rabbit. That doesn’t make fireworks less pretty or boiled eggs less delicious. Unless you’re profoundly square, an arbitrary tradition is a fine excuse to surprise your loved one with a gift or experience designed to inspire delight.

The other objections may be valid, though. Coastlines are sinking into the sea because of our endless hunger for mass-produced crap. The price of roses triples in February, and marketers have stocked the shelves with bland confections and disposable baubles. How do we square a healthy dose of hedonism with an objection to being gouged or bored? What are we to do instead of consuming for the sake of consumption?

If this thorny dilemma sounds familiar, dear reader, we’ve assembled a list of nontraditional local activities to salvage your Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re on a budget or you just want to try something different, there’s something here for everyone.

DURAND BEACH Durand Eastman Park is one of Rochester’s most picturesque spots, even in the wintertime. Hike one of the trails or break out the Nordic skis if weather permits. The allegedly haunted “White Lady’s Castle” is a must-see, but first be sure to dramatically tell your date the (totally bogus) urban legend of the disappeared girl, her vengeful mother, and the spooky ghost hounds that chase couples away from the site after dark.

King’s Highway North is a beautiful drive any time of year, but be careful on the S-curves when it’s snowy. While you’re up by the lake, swing by Don’s Original for a burger or Murph’s for some of the best wings this side of Buffalo.

LAMBERTON CONSERVATORY 180 Reservoir Avenue. 753-7270. monroecounty.gov/parks-conservatory.

Nestled between the South Wedge and Highland Park neighborhoods, the Lamberton Conservatory is a lovely greenhouse that seems much larger on the inside than the outside. It’s stocked with all manner of bizarre and beautiful plants, plus a cozy home for multiple turtles and tortoises. And 14 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

DIVE BAR SAFARI I love a good dive bar. The sticky floors and surly staff have an appeal all their own, and they’re becoming endangered in our Yelp-driven “I’d like to speak to a manager” era.

Now, it defeats the purpose entirely if I tell you which dive bar to go to. Publicizing these places ruins the ambiance and irritates the regulars. Plus, what I find quaint might be a dealbreaker for you. What I recommend instead is that you pick a few dives you’ve been curious about and make an itinerary.

Then, using a responsible means of conveyance (Uber, Lyft, chartered limousine, whatever), explore the less-glamorous nightlife until you find a place that’s playing your song on the jukebox. It’ll be your little secret. Don’t you dare Instagram it.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL BUTCHER

don’t miss the baby turtles at the front desk as you walk into the greenhouse.

The real selling point for the conservatory in cold weather, though, is its proximity to the Reservoir Avenue sledding hill.

Located right next to the Conservatory, this glacial behemoth plunges the adventurous soul 60 feet into the park along a mostly treeless path. Warm up with a cocoa from Equal Grounds afterward to complete an essential wintertime South Wedge experience.

The way to your beloved’s heart is, scientifically, through a meal hearty enough to cause arterial buildup. Humans have been cooking for each other since the invention of fire, and it’s been a universal way to show affection ever since.

Rochester is blessed with a number of excellent independent butchers who can help you find the right ingredients to impress your better half. The crew at McCann’s on South Clinton Avenue are knowledgeable and make a fantastic smoked beef heart that’s perfect for the occasion. Check out Swan Market on Parsells Street for all things pork. I’ve actually seen people moved to tears of joy by their sausage selection.

ARC & FLAME CENTER WILD WINGS INC. 27 Pond Road, Honeoye Falls. 334-7790. wildwingsinc.com.

To clarify, I am not talking about the chain restaurant. This Wild Wings is a sanctuary for wounded birds of prey located in Mendon Ponds Park. Open daily Friday through Tuesday, the not-for-profit educational facility is free to enter, though it’s supported by an optional donation. All wildlife are in their own contained areas. On any given afternoon, you can meet hawks, owls, eagles, and the facility’s mascot, a handsome and charming turkey vulture named Barf. Wild Wings is even home to a rather reclusive bobcat, but if you’re lucky, you may get a glimpse.

The talented volunteer staff offer seasonal programs throughout the year. If philanthropic gifts are your style, the organization also offers an opportunity to “adopt” many of their raptors. You don’t actually get to take the bird home, but you do get a photo, a cool certificate, and some information about wildlife conservation.

125 FedEx Way. 349-7110. rocafc.com.

Most of this list has focused on lower-budget ideas, but everyone’s situation is different. If you are going to make a thing out of giftgiving this year, I can’t recommend Arc & Flame highly enough.

For the price of a fancy dinner for two, the Gates-based school offers four-hour couples classes in blacksmithing, glass blowing, and other fiery media. Instead of indigestion from too much filet mignon and Bordeaux, you’ll both take home a unique piece of handmade art.

As an aside, I learned the hard way that “peen” is a term of art in the smithing world. It refers to part of a hammer.

Prepare yourself in advance so that you do not giggle when the instructor uses it in a sentence.

Finally, the important thing is to keep surprising each other. If your partner has impeccable taste and is also a CITY reader, you may need to go back to the drawing board. Let us know what you come up with in the new and improved comments section.

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 15

Love — is it in the cards?

A tarot conversation with Fayebriel Barrette [ INTERVIEW ] BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

For its extensive history, tarot cards are still very much a mystery.

They can be used to self-reflect, to provide possible answers to pressing personal questions, and to help make decisions related to work, money, spirituality, health, and more. But many people turn to tarot for insight on love and relationships.

“It’s one of the main questions, probably the number one question,” professional tarot reader Fayebriel Barrette says of love. She describes reading tarot cards as an occult practice. “It’s the hidden, it’s the mysterious,” she says.

Even with its enigmatic appeal, tarot has practical applications. Its origins date, at the very least, to playing cards in the 13th and 14th-century Mamlûk dynasty in Egypt. Tarot has existed as a card game since the early-15th century, beginning in Italy and later spreading to countries such as France, Germany, and Switzerland by the late-15th century.

Today, tarot cards are best known as a means of predicting the future. But the cards’ reputation as tools for divination, or predicting the future, only began in the 18th century, and is not their only use.

“It helps you have a conversation with yourself, but you’re outside yourself,” Barrette says. “So instead of bouncing these ideas off your partner, if you don’t have one, your tarot deck can be like your companion.”

In a typical tarot reading, the person asking the question (also known as the “querent,” the seeker) may have a specific issue that they want clarity on. Barrette will then turn over cards in a specific order, or spread, and guide the person through an interpretation of the cards.

In a sense, the ritual acts as a kind of counseling session. The tarot reader gives someone a forum to talk, and provides a comfortable environment and structure for opening up. The reader can reflect things back to the seeker, but ultimately the seeker is doing the work of self-reflection.

Because the solutions suggested by the cards are inevitably open-ended and subject to individual interpretation, seekers may get different answers from the 16 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at dkushner@rochester-citynews.com.

“It helps you have a conversation with yourself, but you’re outside yourself,” Fayebriel Barrette says of tarot. “So instead of bouncing these ideas off your partner, if you don’t have one, your tarot deck can be like your companion.” PHOTO BY JACOB WALSH

ones they were expecting. Barrette says to be ready for this possibility.

“I think it’ll definitely send you into your shadow work,” she says. “I think it’ll open up all these aspects of yourself that you weren’t necessarily going there for. You thought it would be about this other person, or this potential love that you’re looking for, but it really turns out to be, ‘Whoa, there’s all these things that I need to work on.’”

Barrette, also known as Lady Faye, points out that a different answer does not mean it’s the wrong answer.

“They’re like, ‘I wanna know about my relationship,’” she says of people who get their readings. “And then all this work stuff comes up. It’s not a bad reading, because it’s just saying, ‘No, you need to focus on work, and then you’ll be open to a relationship.’”

When a patron is infatuated with a particular person, Barrette may pull a certain number of cards corresponding to the prospective lover’s name — i.e. three cards for Tom, or four cards for Rose — along with a guidance card that keeps the reading pegged to a particular idea or thought. However, if someone wants a reading about another person, they’re too fixated on that person, she says.

In the majority of romance-related readings that Barrette does, the patron is being ghosted and wants clarity about the situation. She has this advice: “If you have to wonder whether they like you or not, it’s not the right time.”

A lot of the time, people will get a reading, but choose not to listen to the answer they get. This is frustrating for a tarot reader, but Barrette can relate.

“In a weird, twisted way, I’m good at relationship advice because I have the worst dating history ever,” she says. “I’ve not followed my own readings and not listened to what I was supposed to do so many times. I think it’s made me better at it — ‘Oh, I see that road you’re going down. Take my word for it: You don’t wanna do it.’”

Barrette, who splits her time between Rochester and New Orleans, recommends that when having your tarot read, you should bring a notebook and pen for jotting down notes, and keep the rest of the day unscheduled, in order to leave time for introspection and self-care.

Tarot is a mental exercise, and you’re only going to see what you’re ready and willing to see, what’s already in your conscious and subconscious thoughts. With that said, you don’t have to take a tarot reading as gospel.

“Well if it resonates with you, you can absorb it,” Barrette says. “And the stuff that doesn’t, you leave behind. If you go to a reader, and none of it resonates with you, you don’t need to take that on as your reality.”

In tarot readings that focus on love and relationships, there are prominent cards that are ripe for misinterpretation. This is particularly true of cards from the Major Arcana, the group of 22 cards that addresses overarching themes of great importance when understanding a reading. Barrette says The Lovers is one such easily misinterpreted card.

“A lot of times, people get The Lovers, and they’re like, ‘Oh, yay, I’m gonna find the love of my life,” if they’re single, or if they’re with somebody, ‘Oh, this means we’re gonna stay together forever,’” Barrette says. “Well, The Hermit presides over the marriage of The Lovers.

So it’s really all about taking that time for yourself to be a whole person, so that they take their time to be a whole person. When you come together after your Hermit time, that’s when you can be The Lovers. It’s about loving yourself and making sure that you’re whole, so that you can be the best lover for your partner.”

For those in an on-again, off-again relationship, receiving The Lovers card in a reading can mean that getting some space from a significant other could be good for the relationship. On the other hand, The Hanged Man card may mean that a person in that relationship is stuck, stagnating between a decision to stick with their partner or move on. That kind of self-inflicted suffering may be telling the seeker that they don’t have to stick with that one person.

For those in a committed relationship, such as a marriage, Barrette says it’s important to not sacrifice your sense of self. This message may come out in a reading for someone who is a mother, for example. A reading in which both The High Priestess and The Empress cards appear may mean that the seeker needs to reconcile her independence and her motherhood. The Empress can represent the woman as the maternal nurturer and embodiment of feminine authority, while The High Priestess can refer to the part of her that is intuitive, mysterious, and focused on self-exploration.

Popular tarot decks include the ubiquitous Rider-Waite Tarot and the iconic occultist Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot deck. Another classic is the Tarot of Marseille, with its bold primary colors and medieval imagery. For a more modern take, there is local artist Jay Lincoln’s RochesTarot, as well as my personal favorite, The Fountain Tarot.

To find the right tarot deck for you, aeclectic.net is a robust resource.

HOLD THE

MINGLE

Some pointed words about the tyranny of couple-culture [ OPINION ] BY GINO FANELLI

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

I can’t fault anyone for finding my hipster doofus persona objectionable.

But look past my penchant for political rants and willingness to fight on a dime at the suggestion that Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” isn’t the greatest album ever recorded, and I have very few irreconcilable edges. The list of things for which I hold genuine disdain is brief: kimchi, the word “irregardless,” and Valentine’s Day. It’s not the day itself, nor its philosophical underpinnings, but rather the social conventions surrounding it that leave me, along with a very large segment of the population, feeling left out in the cold.

Even as a happily single person, dayto-day life is often plagued with the pressure to court, be courted, and find your “better half.” Valentine’s Day takes that minor pestilence to a new level. It’s a gaudy consumerist trap, an annual soapbox-in-the-town square for lovebirds.

It’s a day where everyone asks if you have any special plans, and a response of, “Not really,” begets a pity-filled groan. Bars take on a desperate, somber tone as evening approaches. Sad text messages abound and not a corner can be turned without couple-culture slapping you in the face.

At this point, there are certainly some readers characterizing me as a bitter, lovelorn imbecile, ignorant to the idea Valentine’s Day is simply not meant for people like me.

But the reality is, there are many people like me. Take a 2017 Pew Research report, which found 61 percent of adults under the age of 35 had no partner, up five percent from 10 years prior. Factoring in that 35 percent of single adults live alone, as I do, about 21 percent of Americans under 35 live lifestyles similar to my own.

As the red heart balloons fill the sky and Russell Stover gets its annual payday, being

alone can feel, well, more alone than usual.

Even as common as my lifestyle is, Valentine’s Day can feel like a day when you’ve broken or failed at fulfilling a social obligation. Even if that obligation is something you don’t quite want to fill.

Make no mistake, I’ve been in love, and being the tender age of 27, it’s likely I will be again. I’ve strolled on the beach hand-inhand. I’ve shared a kiss as the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve. I’ve watched the sun rise over the city, gently running my fingers through another’s hair. I’ve done these things at least a few times.

If this were a Yelp review, I’d give the experience a solid two and a half stars.

And listen, if you are a person who detests being single, more power to you. Love away, have a ball out there.

But holding coupledom as a standard breeds folks who bounce from relationship

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JACOB WALSH

to relationship, searching for meaning in another’s embrace. It creates weddings followed by five years of bliss and 15 years of despair. Are there those who choose to be single that are miserable? Of course. But that coin has two-sides, and our society loves to only acknowledge the tails.

On Valentine’s Day, it’s a dichotomy that’s in full swing, even if the majority of young Americans are not currently in a relationship. Statistically speaking, no matter what your current love life is like, you’re likely in good company. And if we’re to celebrate romantic commitments, we should find time to celebrate those who appreciate quiet solitude. Those who make a choice to avoid the social pressure to pair up, and know we are all alone on this frigid rock of ours, each one of us yearning to find a sliver of insulation to shield ourselves from the hollering winds of isolation. But that shield shouldn’t necessarily take the form of another human.

When I was 16, I bought a little cactus in a clay pot that I plopped down on my windowsill, and day by day, gingerly dribbled water into its soil. With time, the cactus bloated and then began to rot away.

I think about that poor cactus a lot, and how my care for it eventually ended its life.

So just as the rose has become the mainstay foliage of romance, I submit the humble cactus as the symbol for singledom. While as prickly as the rose’s thorn, it’s a rustic plant, which thrives on solitude and lack of intervention, and is hurt by too much pruning and doting.

In honor of the virtue of quiet singledom, and the memory of my doomed cactus, I implore my single compatriots to start a new tradition. This Valentine’s Day, just as the lovers of the world throw down their dollars on bouquets to share with their sweethearts, buy yourself a cactus. rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 17

Sex ed for every body Inclusive yoga instructor and sex educator Jenna Weintraub is all about normalizing and enhancing our experiences [ INTERVIEW ] BY AMANDA CHESTNUT

Everything about Jenna Weintraub sparkles.

Her glitter-filled horn-rimmed glasses, her magenta lipstick, and her Kelly green oversized earrings all twinkle and wink when they catch a bit of light. But the first sparkling thing I noticed about her was her personality, which lights up otherwise bleak comments sections on social media. Weintraub is a fatpositive, registered yoga instructor and sex educator with a passion for normalizing sex and body positivity.

We recently met up in a common area on the campus of St. John Fisher College, where she is the Coordinator of Wellness Education.

There were students buzzing all around us, chatting, eating lunch, crossing through the building on tours. Weintraub had chosen a pair of comfortable couches and in the midst of the hustle and bustle, we talked a bit about sex. Or, more accurately, how normalizing the human body and all the things it does, including having sex, is a part of her everyday life. The following is an edited version of our conversation.

CITY: What does your work at Fisher entail?

Jenna Weintraub: I determine whatever

wellness means to our students and create programming, support their success as a student, and make sure that they pay attention to what wellness means. I think my biggest goal is to expand their idea around what health and wellness are.

Outside of the day job I am a yoga teacher, a body image advocate — which kind of came around from yoga — and sex educator. I did that for nine years at Planned Parenthood.

And once I left there to come here, I was like, oh, I’ll just do this on the side!

What exactly does a sex educator do?

Meeting people where they are is a great way to start. Just kind of collecting information as to what sexual health means to them, what sexuality means to them. And some myth-busting. There’s a lot of normalizing in the work that I do, and I like that a lot. I like removing the stigma if I can — busting stigma, talking about the taboos.

18 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Amanda Chestnut is freelancer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to becca@rochester-citynews.com.

As a sex educator, and in all my different roles, there are so many topics: communication, understanding intimacy, and helping people understand what things kind of get their accelerators going, like, get them excited — and understanding what their brakes are. Things that dampen their sex drive. Then sometimes it’s helping partners communicate about those two things.

Then there’s also the middle school and high school kids that need their birth control information. There’s so many good programs in Rochester. People that are doing that work like Highland Family Planning and Planned Parenthood; they’re doing more than just birth control education. But the basic groundwork around what a healthy relationship is — that’s important for our young folks to learn. Unfortunately, it’s not happening. They’re getting little bits and pieces of sex ed, but there’s not a lot, there’s not too much of a mandate. In New York state we’re a little bit better off than other states. So that’s a good thing. I feel like a lot of us sex educators are picking up the pieces where they’re not learning.

What’s a common myth that you find yourself busting?

The myth that I hear a lot is about desire and sex drive: that if you don’t have that, there’s something wrong with you. And then just normalizing that. What you see on TV or what you see on social media is not the reality for a lot of people. Sex drive is something that can be low, and desire can be low, but you still can be in a happy relationship. It doesn’t mean your relationship is not great if you’re not having sex.

I think a lot of people need that reminder: that they’re okay. They’re okay the way they are. I think that’s a message a lot of people need to know and hear and believe. But there’s a lot to do with accepting yourself and spending time with yourself, and your body, and exploring that before even exploring what it’s like with another person.

Expanding inclusivity into overall wellness: yoga instructor and sex educator Jenna Weintraub. Jenna Weintraub can be found teaching yoga on Thursdays at Yoga Vibe, or you can check out her website at jennaweintraub.com.PHOTO BY RENÉE HEININGER

Could you speak a little bit about the range of clients that you see?

Yeah, I’ve been working with a lot of people of size — people who identify as fat people — to help them access products that will help enhance their sex lives.

But also a lot of parents reach out looking for support. Maybe they found their kid doing something, or there’s something coming up, like prom, that they’re concerned about and they want to know how to talk to their kid. There’s a lot of gender stuff, trying to figure out or kind of play around with gender, and that makes parents pretty nervous.

I really love working with group homes and people with disabilities. Some places prefer not to provide a lot of information so that people aren’t sexual beings, but then that’s when they get behavior issues.

A lot of it is just figuring out if people are just stressed out, or if they’re anxious, or maybe they haven’t figured out how to pleasure themselves. And folks in a lot of the group homes are getting better at understanding that that’s a human rights issue, too.

So you serve a range of bodies, a range of ages, and range of genders in the work that you do. How did you come to this work in the first place?

I feel like I’ve always been the person who was there to answer questions for friends. I was going to go to college for broadcasting communications. But then I took a sociology class — and that will change you. And I loved it. I really wanted to know more about people rather than just

What’s a piece of advice that you would offer for the general community who is looking to have a better understanding of their personal life and personal relationships?

broadcast communications. So I ended up being a gender studies major. When I found out it was an option that was like, “Woah!”

Even when I found out that there are more than two genders, I was just like, “Wow!” And that just really made it hard not to take more classes and learn more about it.

I think it probably starts out selfishly because you want to understand why you’re the way you are, and why the world is the way it is. And then you end up taking classes and it really expands your minds and your idea of the human experience.

I always had dreams of becoming Doctor Sexologist Jenna Weintraub. But sometimes I see people going to programs like that, and they’re kind of struggling making it on their own unless they have their own practice. And I don’t know if I’m a have-my-own-practice type of gal. So it’s been neat to expand a lot of those specific skills into overall wellness. Because I feel like a lot of my work officially comes from shame-free education.

I think this is where yoga has helped me a ton. To accept my body and accept how I am as a person is understanding that feelings are sensations in the body.

Being able to name those sensations can be super helpful in managing your feelings and understanding your own needs. Understanding that sometimes our mind is just wrapped with feelings all day, 24-7. That’s how I am — I just have feelings, lots of feelings! I’ve been doing a lot of work on trying to translate what triggers my feelings. Basically, if you allow yourself to have any emotion, even if they’re bad emotions, you can get through life pretty well.

What’s one question that people ask you that they have a lot of trepidation about, but shouldn’t?

I interact with a lot of older women because I also run a social Facebook page for people in body positive spaces. And I’ve had a handful of women who are in their 60s, who are like, “You’re so lucky to have figured this out.” I just turned 37. And to me, that makes me feel they’re pretty nervous to admit that they’ve struggled with their body image or hated their body for so long. And so to see younger people embracing their bodies, no matter what they are or look like is confusing to a lot of folks. But also like, “Wow, that would have been really nice to learn a long time ago.” That’s one thing people reach out to me about.

Usually, it’s HPV or questions about abortion. I know a lot of stuff about abortion.

And a lot of people know that, so I’ll get the text or Facebook message. I’m an abortion doula. So that’s how I get a lot of the background.

Wait, what is this?

It’s kind of like what a birth doula would do.

While someone was preparing for pregnancy, during pregnancy, during that whole birth thing, and then after pregnancy. An abortion doula can help prepare someone, can help talk through some of their options. If they have any questions, inform them of what it’s going to be like at the clinic. Sometimes the clinic allows someone to come with them; an abortion doula could be with them.

And then for aftercare too. If they have any questions about how much they’re eating or is it normal to feel this way? Abortion doulas can really support someone through the whole decision-making process and then the emotional support that they need throughout the process.

I got a lot of my training at Planned Parenthood, but then I helped establish a talk line for people to talk about abortion with a bunch of other great people.

And what’s that? What’s that hotline?

Connect & Breathe is an after-abortion talk line. It’s a local nonprofit actually. The hotline is a great resource for people to use if they don’t want to go see a person or if they never told anyone. That’s really what causes a lot of distress for folks around anything — just keeping a secret, when they can’t talk about what happened to them because they can’t trust anyone around them.

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Stay safe, Rochester! [ SEXUAL HEALTH ] BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at dkushner@rochester-citynews.com.

With all this talk of love and sex, it’s important to remember that safety matters. Monroe County is not immune from the effects of sexually transmitted infections. Statistics for the New York State Department of Health indicate that as of December 2018, 2,318 people in the county are living with HIV and AIDS. In 2018, there were also 5,353 cases of chlamydia, 1,878 cases of gonorrhea, and 250 cases of syphilis reported, according to the state. Here are some resources for practicing safer sex, as well as testing and treatment options.

Trillium Health 259 Monroe Avenue and 170 Science Parkway.

545-7200 or (800) 266-9292. trilliumhealth.org.

Trillium Health provides a comprehensive set of services and offers free sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing in a safe and supportive environment. In addition to primary medical care services at the Monroe Avenue location and a Center for Gynecological Care & Wellness at the new Science Parkway office, Trillium has lab services and pharmacies at both locations,

20 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

and also provides housing, transportation, support groups, and a syringe exchange program. There is also the Transgender and Gender-Expansive Health program, which includes gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy; screening and treatment for HIV (including PEP and PrEP), hepatitis C, and STDs; and care management and supportive services.

Monroe County Department of Health STD Clinic Bullshead Plaza, 855 West Main Street. 753-5481. urmc.rochester. edu/medicine/infectious-disease/patient-care/std-clinic.

This free clinic is run by the University of Rochester Medical Center. The clinic’s staff provides HIV and STI/STD testing, as well as education and resources for HIV prevention. No appointments are needed, patient information is confidential, and parental consent is not required for minors. In addition, Monroe County has an STD/HIV Disease Control Program headquartered at 111 Westfall Road, 753-5391. Services include testing and treatment, education and follow-up appointments

for patients who have been recently diagnosed with an STD, and confidential partner services and a Partner Notification Assistance Program. There is also anonymous HIV testing and counseling; call 423-8081 or (800) 962-5063 for more information.

Planned Parenthood 114 University Avenue.

(866) 600-6886. plannedparenthood.org.

Planned Parenthood’s Rochester Health Center offers HIV testing and diagnosis, as well as prevention, testing, diagnosis, and treatment for STIs and STDs. This location also provides patients with pregnancy testing and services, access to birth control, and education and resources for LGBTQ individuals. General health care, as well as services catering to men’s and women’s health specifically, are also available at the Rochester Health Center.

Music

“I prefer to let it be a blank canvas for people to project their own feelings and ideas onto,” Joe Pug says of his songs. PHOTO BY DAVE CREANEY

Joe Pug, middle-class troubadour [ COMMENTARY ] BY JEFF SPEVAK

Two questions into this phone interview, in which singer-songwriter Joe Pug is at his home in Maryland, he’s called away to an emergency.

“I have to go poopy.”

A few minutes later, 3-year-old Rudy’s all squared away and has settled in front of the television for some cartoons.

Poopy. “That’s the stay-at-home dad life,” Joe Pug says. “When I’m not on the road, I’m at home with my kids.”

The interview resumes. Here’s what happens when Pug’s not home: He tours. On Monday, February 17, he’s at Restaurant Good Luck. He plays songs from the albums and EPs he’s been releasing since 2007. The latest, “The Flood in Color,” came out last summer.

He explains himself: “I know I wake up in the morning and think about all of the ways I screwed up the day before, and all the ways

I’m likely to screw up today,” he says. “We can really flagellate ourselves for those things.

I guess that’s where that line came from.”

Here’s that line: “No god is cruel enough/ To pay me back in kind.”

That’s lyrical gold, from his song “Exit,” from “The Flood in Color.” It reeks of sadness, and is just opaque enough that the listener isn’t quite sure where Pug is coming from. Regret? A broken relationship? Maybe from everywhere — pick your spot. It’s a poetic line, a literate line, one that suggests the self-flagellation runs very deep, indeed.

“I prefer to let it be a blank canvas for people to project their own feelings and ideas onto,” Pug says. “I think the songs of mine that I think are the best — and therefore are the songs that end up making albums that I actually put out — those tend to be ones that I don’t really have a good grasp of what they’re about.”

Pug grew up in Maryland, and studied

playwriting at the University of North Carolina. Then, in a biographical note that seems to appear in every story about Pug, on the day before he was to start his senior year, he just left. He decided he didn’t want to write plays; he wanted to write songs. He got in his car and drove.

“I was 100 percent sure of where I was going,” he says. Chicago. “I really believed in myself. I knew how to make a living on a job site. I left on a Wednesday, by the following Monday I was already living in a rented room and working as a laborer for $15 an hour.”

Construction work isn’t exactly songwriting. But a lot of songwriters get their start that way.

“I knew that I had something inside of me that was beating creatively, that I was pretty sure some people would respond to,” he says.

And they have responded to it. After three or four years, Pug was able to put away the hammer and tour, and actually make money playing music. He moved to Texas — a state whose main industries are oil, barbecue, and songwriters. And the latter is fueled by what’s in front of the stage.

“I think it has to do with the audience,” Pug says. “And there is now, and there has been in the past, for many years, an audience that is hungry for this sort of troubadour style, these narrative songs. They’re hungry for lyrics that have been labored over, they’re hungry for kind of a rough-hewn poetry.

“And because of that, they go to bars and fill ’em up, and people can make livings in Texas, writing these beautiful songs and traveling around and doing it.

And there’s not a music scene like that all over the U.S., and just not a tradition like that all over the place. It’s a very regional tradition. And you know, when there’s a demand for something, then you have many people showing up to fill that.”

By age 24, Pug was opening for Steve Earle, who has appeared on Pug’s lastFriday-of-every-month podcast, “The Working Songwriter.” Pug will talk to someone like Lee Ann Womack, Josh Ritter or Hayes Carll, and they’ll set straight all aspiring tunesmiths. Often the advice is what Pug calls “a meta-truth.”

They all speak it.

Those conversations happen on the road, as well. Pug was backstage at a show, puffing away at a cigarette, when Earle came up to him.

“He’s telling me, like, ‘Don’t do that, man.’ And I’d say, ‘Well, Steve, I like cigarettes.’

“He’d say, ‘Well, I liked heroin. I had to give that up.’”

Pug plays Monday, February 17, 7 p.m. at Restaurant Good Luck, 50 Anderson Street. Matthew Wright opens. Tickets ($30, plus a $3.60 fee) are available through Eventbrite at honestfolkpresents.com.

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. rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 21

Upcoming

Music

[ INDIE ROCK-POP ] Vampire Weekend Tuesday, June 2. Artpark Mainstage Theatre. 450 South 4th St, Lewiston. $44.50-$69.50. 7:30 p.m. 754-4375. artpark.net; vampireweekend.com. [ INDIE POP-FOLK ] Bon Iver Wednesday, July 29.

Artpark Mainstage Theatre. 450 South 4th St, Lewiston. $39.50-$99.50. 7:30 p.m. 754-4375. artpark.net; boniver.org.

Society for Chamber Music in Rochester’s ‘Baroque and Blue’ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 HOCHSTEIN PERFORMANCE HALL, 50 NORTH PLYMOUTH AVENUE 4 P.M. | $35, STUDENTS FREE WITH ID CHAMBERMUSICROCHESTER.ORG [ CLASSICAL ] The formality of Baroque music and the

directness of the blues are a winning combination for the Society for Chamber Music in Rochester. The group has presented several concerts with this theme. For the 2020 installment, the Baroque representatives are a trumpet sonata by Tomaso Albinoni and a violin sonata by J.S. Bach (pictured). The “blue” strain comes from Darius Milhaud’s jazzy, totally ‘20s ballet “La Création du Monde.” The concert concludes delightfully with Camille Saint-Saëns’ tuneful Septet for Piano, Trumpet, and Strings. There is a pre-concert talk at 3:30 p.m.

— BY DAVID RAYMOND

Soul Passenger FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 THREE HEADS BREWING, 186 ATLANTIC AVENUE 8 P.M. | $5 | THREEHEADSBREWING.COM FACEBOOK.COM/SOULPASSENGER4 [ POP-SOUL ] Soul Passenger is a study in cool. Whether these musicians are driving you to tears with something

by The Police or dishing out original blues-tinged rock, Soul Passenger is the quintessential bar band.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

PSST. Is it worth a thousand words?

Check our art reviews from Rebecca Rafferty.

/

ART

22 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

FILE PHOTO

[ ALBUM REVIEWS ]

[ WED., FEBRUARY 12 ]

Gary Peet and Random Company

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

‘Back in Time’ Self-released garypeetmusic.com

Longwave TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 BUG JAR, 219 MONROE AVENUE 8:30 P.M. | $10 ADVANCE, $15 DAY OF SHOW | AGES 18 AND OVER BUGJAR.COM; LONGWAVETHEBAND.COM [ INDIE ROCK ] Though I haven’t pressed The Demos or The

Stedwells directly, it’s safe to say that Longwave is an influence to their sounds in no small degree. All three bands boast swirling vocals and create a hypnotic euphoria with their music. The Brooklyn-based band Longwave (by way of Rochester) keeps moving forward with its latest album, “If We Ever Live Forever,” offering atmospheric indie pop-rock with an amped-up crush.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

Bob Sneider SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 VIA GIRASOLE WINE BAR, 3 SCHOEN PLACE, PITTSFORD 7 TO 10 P.M. | FREE WITH ONE DRINK MINIMUM; RESERVATIONS SUGGESTED VIAGIRASOLE.COM; BOBSNEIDER.NET [ JAZZ ] No one represents the Rochester jazz scene more than

guitarist Bob Sneider. He’s led the jam sessions at the Rochester International Jazz Festival for almost 20 years, sharing the stage with luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis and Eric Alexander.

With a style recalling Grant Green and Barney Kessel, he’s toured with Chuck Mangione and accompanied stars such as Joey DeFrancesco, Nat Adderley, and many more. Over the past two decades, Sneider has recorded excellent albums with his brother John Sneider, Joe Locke, Gary Versace, and others. If he lived in New York City, Bob Sneider would be regarded as one of the great guitarists of his generation.

Gary Peet and Random Company cover all the phases of love — from the first kiss to the big kiss-off — on the new release “Back in Time.” The album starts off in breakneck swing mode with the cut “Do You Want to Dance.” Now, anyone can pen a ballad, a tearjerker, a folk song. But writing a “Scram, get lost” tune, like Peet’s “Go” is another story altogether. It’s the best song on the album.

Maybe that has something to do with where I’m at. I hope my wife doesn’t read this.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

John Akers & Erik Welsch.

Dinosaur BBQ, 99 Court St. 325-7090. 9 p.m.

Justice Choir ROC Sing.

Arnett Branch Library, 310 Arnett Blvd. 428-8214.

7p.m.

Rochester Folkus: Da Vines.

Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, 20 Windsor St. 325-4370.

7 p.m. $10.

Years in the Making. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 7 p.m.

BLUES GA-20. Abilene, 153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 8 p.m. $10.

METAL

September, Madame Mayhem, American Grim.

Aweful Kanawful ‘Much Much Nice’ Self-released awefulkanawful.bandcamp.com

Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520.

8 p.m. $15.

When I first met Austin Lake, AKA Aweful Kanawful, he commandeered the proceedings by setting himself on fire. No shit, on fire. On his new album, “Much Much Nice,” the fidelity runs high — higher than on previous outings. And the man is still on fire — from the 70s-style funk and soul on cuts such “I Wanna Be Back” to the Elvis Costello-flavored “Calico Girl” and “Do You Want My Love.” The latter is just a great friggin’ song that defies definition or simile. But “Stranded” is the ultimate in maximum go-go and freaked-out guitar. There are 14 songs in all, and they are all hits. This is the direction artists like Beck hint at heading toward, stopping short of the self-immolation.

Though the new album doesn’t come out until April, Aweful Kanawful will play some of these new songs at Thievin’ Stephen’s Mural Launch Party on Friday, February 14, 9 p.m. at Riot Room Rochester, 350 East Avenue. $7, bring a date and get $2 discount. Retail and DJ Lovv Lee will also perform.

— BY FRANK DE BLASE

POP/ROCK

Alex Goettel. B-Side, 5

Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 6 p.m.

Autumn In Halifax. Record Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St. 244-1210. 6 p.m.

Hit Makers: Origins of Classic Rock. JCC Hart

Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 7 p.m. $20-$33.

[ THU., FEBRUARY 13 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK Big Blue House. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

Nightfall. Via Girasole Wine Bar, 3 Schoen Pl. Pittsford.

641-0340. 7 p.m. continues on page 25

— BY RON NETSKY

Concert Listings, Music Reviews, Interviews & more. visit us at rochestercitynewspaper.com

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 23

Music THE

D ODE BR W LASE ITH FRANK W

The neighbor of the beast The Tin Man and I rolled out and into the upstate tundra Friday night to a gallery downtown, to give thanks and praise to the sensational photographer Aaron Winters. Winters shoots wildlife in the Serengeti region in Africa, risking life and limb; he also shoots wildlife on stage at concerts in Rochester, where there isn’t as great a risk of getting trampled in a stampede or becoming someone’s lunch.

This photography show was for his African material, and I’ve got to say there’s two things that have me in awe: Winters’s precision shots, and the access the beasts afford him.

Later the same night, The Iron Maidens

entertained a sold-out audience at Montage Music Hall, playing all of the IM hits, like “Run to the Hills” and “2 Minutes to Midnight.” The Los Angeles-based band was polished and impressively tight. But it must be tough defining yourself with someone else’s catalogue, especially in a genre in which pulchritude is not necessarily on-brand.

I’m just saying, a lot of us are used to getting our metal from gargoyles like Dio or Ozzy. Elvis and Dean Martin impersonators have been trying to live up to similarly high standards for years.

But can you imagine Eddie officiating a wedding in a little chapel off the Vegas strip? Hell, I’d go.

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

Visit rochestercitynewspaper.com for an extended version of The F Word every week.

24 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

Ward Stare has sharpened the RPO’s sound while presenting symphonic favorites and new compositions during his tenure as music director.

PHOTO BY ERICH CAMPING

Conservative and (sometimes) compelling The RPO announces 2020-21 season, the last of the Ward Stare era [ PREVIEW ] BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2020-21 season will inevitably be viewed through the lens of Ward Stare’s final season as music director. In six full seasons with the RPO, Stare has helped to create a period of stable artistic leadership following the uncertainty left in the wake of Arild Remmereit’s firing in 2013. On February 11, M&T Bank announced that it is awarding the RPO with a $110,000 grant over three years, in order to bolster the orchestra’s resources for concert programming.

Since being hired in 2014, Stare has had a tenure characterized by a cohesive, vibrant RPO sound and a calculated balance between canonic works by beloved composers — such as Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Samuel Barber — and new pieces by prominent and rising American composers. Stare’s defining triumph with the RPO was the 2018

world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto, with soloist Yolanda Kondonassis.

Stare and company’s subsequent recording of the new composition, on the 2019 album “American Rapture” via Azica Records, received the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

Looking ahead to the 2020-21 RPO season, highlighted in a free Community Concert on February 11, at Kodak Hall, Stare continues this careful balance between old and new. All in all, the upcoming season of programming is decidedly conservative, but has plenty of crowd-pleasers with which few classical music fans could argue. That said, there are a handful of poignant modern works sprinkled in. We need look no further than “Beethoven 250,” a season-long series of concerts honoring the 250th anniversary of the birth of the most well-known classical composer in history.

“He was my first love as a composer, so it’s wonderful to have his music featured so prominently in this season,” Stare said of Beethoven in a recent interview with WXXI Classical 91.5’s Julia Figueras.

On September 24 and 26, the festivities begin fittingly with Beethoven’s most iconic work, Symphony No. 5, and the little fournote theme that changed music forever.

It was Beethoven 5 that inspired a young Christopher Rouse to become a composer; it’s no surprise then that the rhythm of that legendary theme factors into the late Rouse’s own Symphony No. 5, which will also be on the program. Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring soloist Benjamin Beilman, rounds out the season opener.

Most prominently, the RPO will perform each of Beethoven’s nine symphonies over the course of the season. It should be noted that in addition to Symphony No. 5, Stare will only be leading the performances of

Nos. 3 and 6, but those concerts are wellworth waiting for. The November 19 and 21 concerts feature the consummate clarity of the Third Symphony, the “Eroica,” alongside the return of Jennifer Higdon’s music to Kodak Hall, in the form of her Low Brass Concerto.

On May 27 and 29, Beethoven’s enchanting Sixth Symphony, the “Pastoral,” will have an intriguing program partner in Finnish composer Kalevi Aho’s “Siedi (Percussion Concerto),” a mysterious and at times joyfully visceral composition. Percussionist Colin Currie will be the soloist.

“It’s so powerful and it’s so effective, and it really gives you a feel of Mother Earth and nature,” Stare says of the percussion concerto.

“And it’s so grounded in that way, and I just thought, what a perfect pairing with the Pastoral Symphony, which also is an homage to nature.”

Additionally, Stare will lead the orchestra in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, with the electrifying soloist Stefan Jackiw, on April 15 and 17. Those concerts also boast the irrepressible symphonic charisma of Richard Strauss (“Death and Transfiguration”) and Wagner (selections from the opera “Tannhauser”).

Guest conductors will be at the helm for the other Beethoven symphonies.

Predicting that the February 25 and 27 concerts — with Rossen Milanov on the podium — will be dynamic feels like a easy bet to make. In addition to Beethoven’s powerful Eighth Symphony, the packed bill features Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto (with soloist Natasha Paremski), Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, and the mercurial electroacoustic work “Auditorium” by Mason Bates — one of the most compelling composers working today.

Stare ends his time at the helm of the RPO in dramatic fashion. On May 6 and 8, the orchestra will undertake Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, a captivating work of Romantic grandiosity, also known as the “Symphony of a Thousand.” To reach closer to that number of musicians, Stare hopes to engage a bigger network of community members to sing in the chorus.

As has been Stare’s annual tradition, he closes the season with an opera. On June 3 and 5, “Tosca,” Puccini’s hair-raising verismo drama about love, political resistance, and treachery will be presented in a semi-staged concert version of the famous work.

Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at dkushner@rochester-citynews.com.

An extended version of this article can be found at rochestercitynewspaper.com

AMERICANA

JAZZ

Mr Heartache. Iron Smoke

Mike Kaupa Quartet. Little

Distillery, 111 Parce Ave Suite 5b. Fairport. 388-7584.

6:30 p.m. $5.

Peg Leg Ida. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 7 p.m.

CLASSICAL

Eastman at Washington Square Lunchtime Concert.

First Universalist Church of Rochester, 150 Clinton Ave S. esm.rochester.edu/lunchtime.

12:15-12:45 p.m. Composer David Temperley.

POP/ROCK

Amanda Stone Band.

Dinosaur BBQ, 99 Court St. 325-7090. 9 p.m.

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

Blue Envy, Kissin’ Whiskey, Cigs Inside. Bug Jar, 219

Monroe Ave. bugjar.com.

9 p.m. $7.

Free Casino, Stupid November. Lovin’ Cup, 300

Park Point Dr. lovincup.com.

9:30 p.m. $5.

Hayley In The Water. Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745. 7 p.m. $10/$15.

Hit Makers: Origins of Classic Rock. JCC Hart

Theatre, 1200 Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 7 p.m. $20-$33.

[ FRI., FEBRUARY 14 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Baker Birdman Band: Roses & Redwoods. Greenhouse

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

Sam Kaiser. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 5-7 p.m.

AMERICANA

Dirty Blanket, Tyler Westcott, Brendan Gosson.

Flour City Station, 170 East Ave. 413-5745. 9 p.m. $10.

The Honey Smugglers. UUU Art Collective, 153 State St. 434-2223. midnight. $5/$10.

COUNTRY

Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400. 8 p.m. Poets Jennifer Maloney, Bart White, Rick Petrie.

POP/ROCK

Adrianna As Advertised.

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

Aweful Kanawful, Retail, DJ Lovv Lee. Riot Room, 350 East Ave. 546-7468. 9 p.m.

Mural launch party. $5/$7.

Big Logic, The Truth Serum.

Johnny’s Pub, 1382 Culver Rd. 224-0990. 5:30 p.m.

Dial Up. Iron Smoke Distillery, 111 Parce Ave Suite 5b.

Fairport. 388-7584.

8:30 p.m.

Jumbo Shrimp. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 8 p.m.

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

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

10 p.m.

The Sideways. Temple Bar & Grille, 109 East Ave. 232-6000. 9 p.m.

Slow Burn. Firehouse Saloon, 814 S. Clinton Ave. 319-3832. 9:30 p.m.

Something Else. Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. 334-3030. 9 p.m. $5.

The Song Remains. Water Street 2020, 204 N Water St. 471-8916. 8:30 p.m. $5.

Travis Fitch. Robbie’s, 610 North Greece Rd. Hilton.

392-4141. 8 p.m.

Wine Lips, Bad Waitress, House Majority. Bug Jar,

219 Monroe Ave. bugjar.com.

8 p.m. $8.

PUNK/HARDCORE

Ricky Rotten’s Valentines Day Massacre: The Eradicator, The Emersons, The Grinders, Jamie Veins & The Quick Fix. Rosen Krown, 875 Monroe Ave. 271-7050.

9 p.m. $10.

R&B/ SOUL

The Mojo Chunk. Argyle Grill,

4344 Nine Mile Pt Rd. 377-5200. 7 p.m.

Boyd Parker Ambush.

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

DJ/ELECTRONIC

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

7 p.m.

Signal>Noise: Tony Labue.

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

Silent Disco: Love Is. The Penthouse, 1 East Ave, 11th floor. 775-2013. 9 p.m. $15/$20.

VOCALS

RPO: 100 Years of Nat & Natalie. Kodak Hall at

Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. 8 p.m. $30-$121.

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK Bob Begley. Fairport Brewing Co., 99 S Main St. Fairport.

678-6728. 7 p.m.

Connie Deming. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

8 p.m.

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

AMERICANA

A Girl Named Genny. Three

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

Hubby Jenkins. Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org.

8 p.m. $20/$25.

BLUES

Hanna & the Blue Hearts.

Mi Viejo San Juan at Nortons Pub, 1730 N Goodman St. 544-9220. 7:30 p.m.

Steve Grills & The Roadmasters. Dinosaur, 99

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

Steve West. B-Side, 5 Liftbridge Lane. Fairport.

315-3003. 5-7 p.m.

CLASSICAL

SUNY Geneseo Symphony Orchestra & ROCmusic Collaborative: American Inventions. Asbury First

United Methodist Church, 1050 East Ave. rocmusic.org.

6 p.m.

The Wonderful Woodwinds Quintet. Arnett Branch

Library, 310 Arnett Blvd.

428-8214. noon.

COUNTRY

Flint Creek. Nashvilles, 4853 W Henrietta Rd. Henrietta.

334-3030. 9 p.m.

JB Aaron. Bottomless Brewing, 3543 E Lake Rd. Geneva. (315) 325-4380.

7:30 p.m. $5.

DJ/ELECTRONIC

An Anti-Valentine’s Event: Noise. California Brew Haus,

402 W. Ridge Rd. 621-1480.

6 p.m. $5.

GOSPEL

Akoma & Voices of Thunder.

First Genesis Baptist Church, 292 Hudson Ave. firstgenesis.org. 8 p.m.

The Campbell Brothers.

Hollerhorn Distilling, 8443 Spirit Run. Naples.

531-2448. 8 p.m.

JAM BAND

Head to the Roots. Fairport

Brewing Co., 1044 University Ave. 481-2237. 8 p.m. rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 25

METAL

Poison The Prophet, The Silence Broken, Caustic Method, A Day Without Rain.

Montage Music Hall, 50 Chestnut St. 232-1520.

7:30 p.m. $8/$10.

POP/ROCK

Conor Oberst Tribute. Abilene,

153 Liberty Pole Way. 232-3230. 9 p.m. $7.

Gunsmoke. Robbie’s, 610 North Greece Rd. Hilton.

392-4141. 8 p.m.

Hit Makers: Origins of Classic Rock. JCC Hart Theatre, 1200

Edgewood Ave. 461-2000. 2 & 8 p.m. $20-$33.

Just Desserts: Songs of Revenge & Retribution.

PHOTO BY SHARON WEYSER

CLASSICAL | INCANTARE

Classical fans are no strangers to early music concerts featuring compositions from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. But those who attend the Valentine’s Day concert at The Perkins Mansion are in for a treat when the quartet Incantare performs.

Televisionaries, Kodachrome, Liza Malamut, Ben David Aronson, and Garrett Lahr play the Eyes & Flys. Bug Jar, 219 sackbut (the predecessor to the modern trombone). The regal Monroe Ave. bugjar.com. but subdued tone of this infrequently heard instrument, when 10 p.m. blended with violinist Alice Culin-Ellison’s expressive, song-like melodic phrases, creates a truly distinctive sound. The idea REGGAE behind the concert program is just as intriguing, with its focus Noble Vibes & Neville Francis. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park on composers who dealt with the effects of Jewish exile and subsequent diaspora in Europe — Salamone Rossi, and Johann Point. lovincup.com. 9pm. $10.

Vierdanck, among them.

Record Archive, 33 1/3 Rockwood St. 244-1210. 6pm.

Sarah Eide, Lauren Crosby.

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

Incantare performs Friday, February 14, 8 p.m. at The Perkins Mansion, 484 East Avenue. $25 general, $10 students. Additional $10 for wine prelude at 7:30 p.m. 435-7202. incantarAlumni & Advancement Center, 300 E River Rd. 7 p.m. emusic.com.

— BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER $20/$25.

RPO: 100 Years of Nat & Natalie. Kodak Hall at VOCALS

International A Cappella Central Quarterfinal. UR

Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. 8 p.m. $30-$121.

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ]

POP/ROCK

Hit Makers: Origins of Classic Rock. JCC Hart Theatre, 1200

Rod Ham’s Black Diamond Express. Radisson Hotel,

Edgewood Ave. 461-2000.

2 p.m. $20-$33.

175 Jefferson Rd. flowercityjazz.org. 6:30 p.m. $7/$12.

Daily Refresher, 293 Alexander St. 360-4627. 5-7 p.m.

WORLD

VOCALS

CLASSICAL

Ave. lux666.com. 8 p.m. $5.

Park Point Dr. lovincup.com.

8 p.m. Vocal competition.

[ MON., FEBRUARY 17 ]

WORLD

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Mayukwa Kashiwa, African Drumming. Penfield Public

ACOUSTIC/FOLK

Madeleine Mcqueen. The

Bach Cantatas Series.

Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 111 N. Chestnut St. 3 p.m.

Southern Sound Tuba Quartet.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. 3 p.m.

SUNY Geneseo Symphony Orchestra. Wadsworth

Auditorium, 1 College Circle.

Geneseo. 245-5824. 3 p.m.

Womba Africa Drumming & Dance. Lux Lounge, 666 South

Joe Pug, Matthew Wright.

Good Luck, 50 Anderson Ave. honestfolkpresents.com.

7 p.m. $30.

AMERICANA

PV Nunes Band. Little Café, JAZZ

Jambalaya Sessions. The

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

Marco Amadio. Lovin’ Cup, 300 Park Point Dr. lovincup.com. 6 p.m. $5.

240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

JAZZ

Hosea Plays On: Author Kathleen Blasi & Nate Rawls Band. Arnett Branch Library,

310 Arnett Blvd. 428-8214.

6-7 p.m.

26 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

The Choice. Lovin’ Cup, 300

Library, 1985 Baird Rd. 340-8720. 11 a.m.

[ TUE., FEBRUARY 18 ] ACOUSTIC/FOLK Spring Chickens. Little Café, 240 East Ave. 258-0400.

7 p.m.

JAZZ

Gray Quartet Jazz Sessions.

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

Love me sweet!

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Theater

The cast of the ambitious musical, “Next to Normal,” currently being staged at Blackfriars Theatre. PHOTO BY RON HEERKINS JR/GF MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT

She’s not there “Next to Normal” REVIEWED FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 CONTINUES THROUGH FEBRUARY 23 BLACKFRIARS THEATRE, 795 EAST MAIN STREET TICKETS START AT $31.50 | BLACKFRIARS.ORG [ REVIEW ] BY LEAH STACY

As Broadway reinvents itself for a savvy new generation of theatregoers, the subject matter of successful shows over the past decade has drifted from syrupy love stories to heavier themes like high school trauma and therapy (“Dear Evan Hansen”) and tragic, real world events like September 11th (“Come from Away”). One such show, “Next to Normal,” which debuted on Broadway in 2009, centers on a suburban housewife battling bipolar disorder and is being staged at Blackfriars Theatre through February 23.

28 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

“Next to Normal” can best be defined as a rock musical, with music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey (the pair also worked together on “If/ Then,” starring Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp, in 2013). Yorkey was originally inspired by a “Dateline NBC” special on electroconvulsive therapy. The six-person show contains more than 20 narrative musical numbers, and the script is largely sung, with minimal dialogue between songs.

Clocking in at just over two-and-a-half hours with a 15-minute intermission, “Next to Normal” is a moving journey through one family’s battle with mental health, suicide, and drug abuse.

Several Blackfriars favorites have reunited for this production, including Kerry Young as artistic director, J. Simmons in the role of family patriarch Dan, Janine Mercandetti as bipolar wife and mother, Diana, and Carl Del Buono playing dual roles of Dr. Madden and Dr. Fine. The youngest members of the cast — Haley Knips (daughter Natalie), Evan

Miller Watelet (Natalie’s boyfriend, Henry), and Zachary Jones (Natalie’s brother, Gabe) — all make their Blackfriars debut in this vocally-demanding show.

Mercandetti, in the catalyst role, stuns.

From her controlled, powerful vocals to shattering emotional moments, it’s clear she has worked to connect with the tortured inner workings of Diana, particularly during the poignant numbers “I Miss the Mountains” and “You Don’t Know.” Opposite her, as loyal husband and father Dan, is J. Simmons, another multi-dimensional actor who pulls at heartstrings through his confusion and devotion during “A Light in the Dark” and “Why Stay?/A Promise.”

Del Buono offers comedic relief as Dr. Fine, a seductive figment of Diana’s imagination, and adds soaring harmonies on several numbers. The youngest cast members — Nazareth College students Knips and Jones and local musician Watelet — give touching performances as struggling teens. Knips especially delivers a gripping portrayal of a

high-achieving daughter who’s starving for her mother’s love.

Because of the weighty, tragic plot, “Next to Normal” requires skilled actors as well as vocalists. This intimate cast is up for the challenge, delivering a potent ensemble performance with specific spotlight moments for each character. Much of this is a credit to Young’s direction, as she does not allow the show to be stolen by one particular character.

There’s an attention to placement, blocking, and lighting that gives each of the six cast members their time to shine. And they do — many in Friday’s audience were brought to tears by the performances. Chemistry is also very evident among the cast (albeit platonic where at times it should be romantic) and the way they play off of one another gives an added layer to the show’s impact.

In addition to demanding vocals, “Next to Normal” is a musically-driven few hours, and the six musicians, led by musical director and conductor Andy Pratt in the second-floor pit at stage right, hardly ever stop playing. There were a few hiccups with imbalanced instrumental and mic levels which resulted in flat notes from the cast, but once the instrumental levels lowered, the actors were able to readjust. “Next to Normal” isn’t for the easily intimidated theatre company — it’s an acrobatic production that requires flexibility from both actors and musicians.

Eric Williamson’s two-story set functions largely as the family’s suburban home, but also a doctor’s office, a school auditorium, an operating room, and an outdoor space.

Design-wise, it’s kept light and bright, leaving plenty of room for creative interpretation and focus on the storyline. Costume design by Casey McNamara is contemporary yet eyecatching (especially the bright dresses worn

by Mercandetti).

The subject of mental health onstage is something audiences may not have embraced willingly several decades ago. “Next to Normal” is unlike “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in that it’s terribly realistic. It’s shockingly relatable. The Goodman family could easily be living in Spencerport or Webster. Tragedy and trauma wait for no man, and sometimes genetic predispositions ravage a person’s health. But the normalization of mental health conversations in pop culture and entertainment could mean less stigma and more folks seeking treatment — and that’s worthy of a standing ovation.

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

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Activism

Kids Events

[ THU., FEBRUARY 13 ] Teach-In: Gender, Sex, & Power Beyond White Suffrage.

9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. UR Rush Rhees Library, 755 Library Rd Humanities Center 275-5804.

[ WED., FEBRUARY 12 ] Free Youth February. Through Feb. 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St Up to 5 youth (ages 3-11) admitted free with each adult paid admission $10.

336-7200.

Wildlife Action Crew: Elephants & Poaching. 6-8 p.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St Ages 13-18 $45/$50. 336-7213.

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Food Not Bombs Sort/Cook/Serve Food. 3:30-6 p.m. St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality, 402 South Ave. 232-3262.

PHOTO PROVIDED

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Sunday Forum. 9:50-10:50 a.m. Downtown Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh St. Housing Matters: The Complex Relationship Between Our Housing & Our Health with Nadine Hylton 325-4000.

PHOTO PROVIDED

SPECIAL EVENT | ROC THE LOVE

FILM | ‘ALWAYS IN SEASON’

Arc of Monroe has been offering enriching programs and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Rochester area for more than 60 years. Local arts advocacy group OFC Creations has partnered with a variety of local artists and creative organizations to deliver “Roc the Love,” an upcoming variety show fundraiser to benefit Arc of Monroe. The matinee event, hosted at Comedy @ the Carlson, will feature entertainers in a variety of genres. Performers include internationally acclaimed Garth Fagan Dance, Rochester City Ballet, members of the Roc City Singers, and Sky Sands, who is a multiple-time “Best Local Comedian” winner in CITY’s reader poll. Other luminaries include dancer Thomas Warfield, actor Diane Chevron, and speaker Dresden Engle.

“Always in Season” is an award-winning documentary that examines the history of lynching in America by following the grim particulars of one family’s experience. African-American teenager Lennon Lacy was found hanged from a swing set in Bladenboro, North Carolina in 2014. His death was ruled a suicide by officials and went uninvestigated despite circumstances that pointed toward lynching, an act of terrorism.

Filmmaker Jacqueline Olive recounts Lennon’s mother Claudia’s struggle for justice and reconciliation. Released last year to critical praise, the film is set to be featured later this month on the PBS program Independent Lens. Presented at the Little Theatre by WXXI as part of the Indie Lens Pop-Up series, the screening will be followed by a discussion of themes in the film, including ways to build a grassroots movement around racial justice.

Saturday, February 15, at 2 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Road. Tickets $25 for adults, $20 for ages 12 and under. ofccreations.com.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Arts & Performance Art Exhibits [ OPENING ] Cad Red Gallery, 34 Main St. Pittsford. Elisa Root: Paintings & Pottery. 12-5 p.m. Reception Feb 13, 5-8pm. Through March 11. 381-2161.

George Eastman Museum, 900 East Ave. eastman.org. Dutch Connection. Behind the Scenes Feb 15, 9am. Through March 1. $5-$15.

Hartnett Gallery, UR Wilson Commons, River Campus. Michael Bosworth: Transference. Artist talk Feb 13, 4pm. Through Mar 6. 275-4188.

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

Judith Schaechter: The Path to Paradise.. Feb 16: Artist talk 1pm; fivebyfibe performance 3pm. Through May 24.

RIT Bevier Gallery, 90 Lomb Memorial Dr., Booth Bldg 7A. Crafting Democracy: Fiber Arts & Activism. Reception Feb 19, 5-7pm. Through Mar 14. 475-2646.

Visual Studies Workshop, 31 Prince St. vsw.org. Andrea Frank: Seed Farm | Adam Kujawski: Reprographic Understanding. Feb. 12March 8.

Art Events

Monday, February 17, 6:30 p.m. The Little Theater, 240 East Avenue. Free. wxxi.org; thelittle.org.

— BY DECLAN RYAN

Black AF Love & Vibe. 6-9 p.m.

The Avenue Blackbox Theatre, 780 Joseph Ave. $12.

Sky Sands. 8 p.m. Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $15. 426-6339.

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Yards Collaborative Residency Final Showcase: Joel Dow. 7-10 p.m. C15 Collaborative Art, 15 Charlotte St. Closing reception.

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Nuts & Bolts Improv. 8 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $10. 426-6339.

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Little 1 Open House. 12-4 p.m.

Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. thelittle.org.

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Harbor House Benefit: Todd Youngman & Sky Sands. 4 p.m.

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

Comedy

Dance Events

[ WED., FEBRUARY 12 ] The Virzi Triplets. 7 p.m.

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

[ FRI., FEBRUARY 14 ] New York State Ballet: Dancing with Duke Ellington. 7:30 p.m.

Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 N Plymouth Ave. $20-$40.

454-4596.

[ THU., FEBRUARY 13 ] Superty Dupes, Beef Gordon.

9 p.m. Rosen Krown, 875 Monroe Ave. $5. 271-7050.

Tacarra Williams. 7:30 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $12-$17.

426-6339. [ FRI., FEBRUARY 14 ] My Achy Breaky BoxCar. 8 p.m. Boxcar Donut Shop, 127 Railroad St, #Suite 120 270-5942.

30 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Bolshoi Ballet: Giselle. noon.

Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. $18/$20. thelittle.org.

Theater 6th Annual Bronze Collective Theatre Fest. Mon., Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m. and Tue., Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave $15/$20; $49 week pass. muccc.org.

Blues for Mister Charlie. Thu., Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Fri., Feb. 14, 7 p.m., Sat., Feb. 15, 7 p.m. and Sun., Feb. 16, 2 p.m.

MuCCC, 142 Atlantic Ave $15. muccc.org.

Jesus Christ Superstar. Tue., Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m. Auditorium Theatre, 885 E. Main St. $38$88. rbtl.org.

Nathan Yungerberg: Reading & Conversation. Thu., Feb. 13, 7 p.m. Monroe Community College, Brighton Campus, Monroe B, 1000 East Henrietta Road 292-3394.

Plays in Progress: Dangerous Dress. Mon., Feb. 17, 7 p.m.

Geva Theatre, 75 Woodbury Blvd Reservations required gevatheatre.org.

Polaroid Stories. Thu., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Fri., Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Feb. 15, 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Feb. 16, 2 & 7:30 p.m. Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Ave Studio A48 $10/$12.

389-2170.

Valentine Variety Show. Fri., Feb. 14, 6 p.m. Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332 ​. $20/$25. 398-0220.

Black History Month The Black History Experience.

Sat., Feb. 15, 2 p.m.

Hochstein Performance Hall, 50 N Plymouth Ave. $15/$20.

454-4596.

Black Liberation & The Sin of Slavery. Mon., Feb. 17, 6 p.m.

Central Library, Kusler-Cox Auditorium, 115 South Ave Conā Marshall, UR 428-8300.

Dr. Angela Sims. Thu., Feb. 13, 7 p.m. Mountain Rise United Church, 2 Mountain Rise 1st female president, Colgate Rochester Crozer School of Divinity 223-2433.

Fannie Barrier Williams: 100 Years After Suffrage & the Legacies of Race, Gender, & Civic Voice. Sat., Feb. 15, 11 a.m. Women’s Rights National Historical Park, 136 Fall St Seneca Falls nps.gov/wori.

Politics on a Pedestal: The History of the Frederick Douglass Monument. Fri., Feb. 14, 12:45 p.m. UR Rush Rhees Library, 755 Library Rd Humanities Center 275-5804.

Where Are All the Women? (Re) Discovering the Lost Voices of Black Women Religious Leaders of Douglass’s City. Sat., Feb. 15, 2 p.m. Central Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Ave. 428-8300.

Film Baobab Cultural Center, 728 University Ave. “Southside with You” (2016). Fri., Feb. 14, 7 p.m. $7 suggested. 563-2145.

Hoyt Auditorium, UR, 500 Joseph C. Wilson Blvd.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961).

Sat., Feb. 15, 9 p.m.

Little Theatre, 240 East Ave. “Citizen K” (2019). Sat., Feb. 15, 3 p.m. $4-$9. thelittle.org.; “The Doors: Break On Thru” (2019). Wed., Feb. 12, 7 p.m. $8-$12. thelittle.org.; “When Harry Met Sally” (1989). Fri., Feb. 14, 7 p.m. $4-$7. thelittle. org.; Indie Lens Pop-Up: “Always in Season” (2019).

Mon., Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m. thelittle.org.

Visual Studies Workshop, 31 Prince St. vsw.org. I Like It Strange: In Dialogue with Karen Yasinsky. Wed., Feb. 12, 7 p.m. $5.

[ FRI., FEBRUARY 14 ] KinderZoo: Animals Coverings.

11:30 a.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St For ages 3-5 $6/$8. 336-7213.

KinderZoo: Amazing Armadillo.

10:15 a.m. Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul St For ages 18 months-3 years $6/$8.

336-7213.

PAW Patrol Live. 2 & 6 p.m.

Blue Cross Arena, One War Memorial Sq $18.50 & up. bluecrossarena.com.

Red Tie Variety Show. 12:1512:45 p.m. Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332 398-0220.

Valentine Party. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. $16.

263-2700. [ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Animal Week. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Ave. $13-$15. rmsc.org.

Family Fun Day. 2 p.m. Main Street Armory, 900 E. Main St. Banx Boys 232-3221.

Fire-Breathing School Break.

Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Sq. $16.

263-2700.

Imagination Station with Mrs Kasha Davis. 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

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

Kid’s Free Week. Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. 276-8900 .

KidsFest 2020. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Total Sports Experience, 880 Elmgrove Rd $7. 98pxy.radio. com/kidsfest-2020.

The Rainbow Fish. 2 & 4 p.m. Sensory-friendly: 4pm.

Callahan Theater at Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Ave $15-$20. 389-2170.

Tail Waggin’ Tutors. 11 a.m.noon. Central Library, 115 South Ave. 428-8150. [ MON., FEBRUARY 17 ] Kathleen M Blasi: Hosea Plays On. 1 p.m. Hipocampo Children’s Books, 638 South Ave 461-0161. [ TUE., FEBRUARY 18 ] The Magic Guy. 12-12:45 p.m. Cobblestone Arts Center, 1622 NY 332 $5 suggested.

398-0220.

Stuffed Animal Pet Show.

10:30-11:30 a.m. Penfield Public Library, 1985 Baird Rd. 340-8720.

Recreation [ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Kohlfahrt: A German Winter Cabbage Walk. 12-4 p.m.

Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford Ages 21+ $63/$70. gcv.org.

NordicFest. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Cumming Nature Center, 6472 Gulick Rd. rmsc.org. [ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Kiddie Kohlfahrt. 12-4 p.m.

Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Rd Mumford $55/family (up to 6). gcv.org.

[ TUE., FEBRUARY 18 ] Winter Family Fun Week.

Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Rd 41 ganondagan.org.

[ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] 12th Annual NY Ice Wine & Culinary Festival. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Casa Larga Vineyards, 2287 Turk Hill Rd Fairport $45$70. casalarga.com.

Special Events

[ TUE., FEBRUARY 18 ] Plate A Palooza 2020. 5 p.m.

Comedy @ the Carlson, 50 Carlson Rd $10. 426-6339.

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Fire & Ice Winter Festival. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Canandaigua. downtowncanandaigua.com.

Four Seasons Farm Tour. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Schutt’s Apple Mill, 1063 Plank Rd Webster 753-2550.

Old People Prom. 8 p.m.

The Cracker Factory, 35 Lehigh St Geneva $10/$15. thecrackerfactory.org.

Lectures [ WED., FEBRUARY 12 ] History of Rochester Craft Beer.

6:30 p.m. Sager Beer Works, 46 Sager Dr Suite E 245-3006.

[ THU., FEBRUARY 13 ] Heritage Interrupted: The Future of Ghana’s Past. 5 p.m. UR Rush Rhees Library, 755 Library Rd Raymond Silverman, U Michigan 275-5804.

History Happy Hour: Galentine’s Day. 6:30 p.m. Nox, 302 N Goodman St $22. 318-2713.

The Rising Tide of AntiSemitism. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Nazareth College Shults Center, 4245 East Ave. 389-2324.

Literary Events

[ SAT., FEBRUARY 15 ] Rochester’s Rich History: Water for Rochester, At Last. 1 p.m.

Central Library, Kusler-Cox Auditorium, 115 South Ave 428-8370.

[ WED., FEBRUARY 12 ] Just Poets: Poetry Reading & Open Mic. Second Wednesday of every month, 6:30 p.m.

Before Your Quiet Eyes, 439 Monroe Ave. 563-7851.

[ TUE., FEBRUARY 18 ] Curiosity: Your Oft-Neglected Super Power. 5:30 p.m. Good Luck, 50 Anderson Ave. 20 Minutes & a Beer. Mike Johansson, RIT $3/$5.

Tuesday Topics. 12:12-12:52 p.m Technology in 2020.

Central Library, Kate Gleason Auditorium, 115 South Ave. ffrpl.org.

The Writers Forum: Jillian Weise. 7:30 p.m. New York Room, Cooper Hall, The College at Brockport, New Campus Dr. 395-5676. [ THU., FEBRUARY 13 ] Pure Kona Poetry Series. 7-9 p.m. Greenhouse Café, 2271 E. Main St. 270-8603. [ SUN., FEBRUARY 16 ] Love Jones: A Lovers’ Quarrel. 5 p.m. Water Street 2020, 204 N Water St $20/$30. 471-8916.

Rochester Poets: Edward Dougherty, Bruce Bennett.

2 p.m. Legacy at Cranberry Landing, 300 Cranberry Landing Dr. Followed by open mic 260-9005.

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Film

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell in “Downhill.” PHOTO COURTESY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Hazardous terrain ahead “Downhill” (R), DIRECTED BY NAT FAXON AND JIM RASH OPENS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 [ PREVIEW ] BY ADAM LUBITOW

It’s a strange coincidence that “Downhill” arrives in theaters the same week Bong Joonho’s South Korean class satire “Parasite” took home the Academy Award for Best Picture, becoming the first film not in the English language to win that award in the Academy’s 92-year history.

In the lead-up to this year’s Oscars, there were lots of conversations about how the Motion Picture Academy had demonstrated a reluctance to award international features in the past. Sure, they’d occasionally allow certain titles to break free from Best International Feature (previously Best Foreign Language Film) to compete in the more prominent directing, screenplay, or performance categories. And far less frequently, a foreign language title might have enough crossover appeal to earn a nomination for Best Picture (à la “Amour” or “Roma” last year). But it was always clear those films never had a real shot. Until now.

32 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

The success of “Parasite” where so many others had failed is a nice reminder for our culture that cinema isn’t a purely American artform, and reinforces the idea that great films can come from anywhere. As Bong Joon-ho remarked upon accepting his Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

The trend of remaking successful international films for English-speaking audiences is nothing new, though it thankfully seems to have grown less common in recent years. It stems from the belief that American audiences won’t accept films in other languages. And those movies need to be remade into something more palatable, often less challenging, and (most importantly) without subtitles. So we get films like “Downhill,” which exists because of what feels like the result of that outdated way of thinking, despite containing a sharp, funny performance from Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (“The Way Way Back”), “Downhill” is a remake of Ruben Östlund’s 2014 black comedy “Force Majeure.” And while Östlund’s film was a minor success, it

didn’t really hit with mainstream American audiences. Which might explain why a clip from the film briefly went viral on Twitter last year, when many commenters confused the footage for a real incident captured by security cameras.

The film maintains the same basic premise as the original film. Billie (LouisDreyfus) and her husband Pete (Will Ferrell) are on a ski vacation with their two young sons (Julian Grey and Ammon Jacob Ford) at a luxury resort in the Alps. The trip isn’t without its minor hiccups, from the realization that they’ve inadvertently booked their stay at a less family-friendly location than they’d intended, to the fact that Pete is in a funk, still mourning the loss of his father eight months earlier. But overall, the family’s making the best of it.

Then one afternoon while having lunch on the outdoor deck of a restaurant, the family sees one of the resort’s periodic controlled avalanches. But as the massive wall of snow rushes right toward the restaurant, it appears that the avalanche isn’t so controlled this time. The crowd begins to panic, chaos breaks out, and in a moment of pure animal instinct Pete grabs his phone and runs, leaving his family behind.

Of course, when it turns out everything is fine and — aside from being covered in a bit of powder — Billie and the kids are otherwise perfectly safe, Pete is left to sheepishly return to the table, attempting to act as though nothing had happened. His knee jerk reaction isn’t without consequence, and the emotional wreckage his response leaves in its wake becomes the film’s focus. Suddenly, cracks begin to appear in the seemingly solid foundation of their marriage.

It’s a premise ripe for exploration, so an American take isn’t necessarily the worst idea, if it could bring some new perspective, or probe the material with the same ruthlessly incisive eye that Östlund brought to the table. But as is often the case with Englishlanguage remakes, “Downhill” ends up smoothing out the rough edges of the source material, removing some of the potent ambiguity at the heart of the original’s examination of masculinity, family dynamics, and gender roles. More than 30 minutes shorter than “Force Majeure,” the new film ends up feeling truncated and streamlined to a detrimental degree.

The script, co-written by “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong, makes some minor changes, adding in ideas about the envyinducing nature of social media, as Pete becomes fixated on the documented travels of his co-worker Zach (Zach Woods) and his new girlfriend Rosie (Zoe Chao). The film also gives prominence to Miranda Otto’s extraneous character, a thicklyaccented Austrian concierge who pops up at inopportune moments to meddle in Billie and Pete’s affairs. Her broad comedic performance feels jarringly out of place.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus gives the film’s standout performance; she’s able to be funny while still finding a grounding in Billie’s real emotional hurt. But there’s still not enough for her to dig into, and she’s never quite matched by her costar. Farrell’s been good in more serious roles in the past, but here he constantly seems on the verge of breaking out into his more familiar comedy shtick.

In the end, “Downhill” isn’t a bad film by any stretch. But when “Force Majeure” already exists and is widely accessible, it can’t help but feel redundant. You’d be better off seeking out the more effective original than settling for a pale facsimile.

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

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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Call David at (585) 730-2666 or email david@rochester-citynews.com to take the first step toward finding the newest member of your team.

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Salary range: $40,875 to $49,709

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Employment

Ten month work year. Follows school calendar for breaks and recesses.

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ROCHESTER GENERAL HOSPITAL (Rochester NY) seeks Vascular Surgeon to provide vascular surgery care for patients in inpatient and outpatient settings. Requires MD, BC in Surgery, BC in Vascular Surgery, NYS physician lic. Up to 10% travel to clinical locations in adjacent counties. Apply to Jay. Coleman@rochesterregional.org using Job Code VS20.

Volunteers BECOME A DOCENT at the Rochester Museum & Science Center Must be an enthusiastic communicator, Like working with children. Learn more at http://www.

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Minimum Qualifications: Must have a current license and registration to practice in New York State, or limited permit to practice in NYS, or an application on file for a limited permit to practice in NYS. For more information: Finger Lakes DDSO Human Resources Office: (585) 461-8800 Email: opwdd.sm.FL.hiring@opwdd.ny.gov

NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Human Resources Management Office Finger Lakes DDSO, 620 Westfall Rd., Rochester, NY 14620 An Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer

MEALS ON WHEELS needs YOU to deliver meals to YOUR neighbors in need. Available weekdays between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM? Visit our website at www.vnsnet.com or call 274-4385 to get started!

OPERA GUILD OF ROCHESTER: Please consider volunteering for any of these positions: event hostess, trip planner, assistant treasurer, audio-visual assistant. Contact operaguildofrochester.org.

SENECA PARK ZOO Society seeking volunteers and docents for ongoing involvement or special events. Roles available for all interests. Contact Volunteers@senecazoo.org to learn more.

TRILLIUM HEALTH FOOD Cupboard needs volunteers every Wednesday and Friday 9 am–2 pm. Contact Kristen at kmackay@trilliumhealth. org or Jen at jhurst@trilliumhealth. org.

TURN OVER A New Leaf, Become A Volunteer for Meals On Wheels in the City of Rochester. Meals are delivered weekdays between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. To get started call us at 274-4385.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Computer help volunteers needed to assist adults in the community with basic computer skills and important digital tasks. Change Lives! Learn more at https://literacyrochester.org/becomea-digital-volunteer/

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Minimum Qualifications: High School Diploma or GED equivalent, you must have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State at the time of the appointment and continuously thereafter.

For exam application: Finger Lakes DDSO Human Resources Office: (585) 461-8800 Email: opwdd.sm.FL.hiring@opwdd.ny.gov NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Human Resources Management Office Finger Lakes DDSO, 620 Westfall Rd., Rochester, NY 14620 An Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer

Place your ad by calling 244-3329 ext. 10 or rochestercitynewspaper.com

Rush-Henrietta Central Schools

TEACHERS NEEDED SPANISH

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Legal Ads [ LEGAL NOTICE ] Meadow Cove International IV LLC (“LLC”) filed Arts. of Org. with Secy. of State of NY (“SSNY”) on January 22, 2020. Office Location: Monroe County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to c/o the Company, Attention: Manager, 850 Hudson Avenue, Rochester, New York 14621. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ LEGAL NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Packman Delivery Services, LLC. Art. Of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 2/7/2020.

Office Location: Monroe County. Street Address of principal business location: c/o The Limited Liability Company, 5 Burlington Avenue, Rochester, NY 14619.

SSNY shall mail copy of process: c/o The Limited Liability Company, 5 Burlington Avenue, Rochester, NY 14619.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] 24 Prince Street, LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 10/30/19. 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 2604 Elmwood Ave., #113, Rochester, NY 14618. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] 721 Cedarwood 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 44 Field St Rear, Rochester, NY 14620.

LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] ADMINISTRATION CITATION FILE NO.: 2019-186 SURROGATE’S COURT CAYUGA COUNTY SUPPLEMENTAL CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK By the Grace of God, Free and Independent To: Timothy McCarthy Address Unknown A petition having been duly filed by Cathy M. McCarthy, who is domiciled at 956

Middle Road, Lot 12, Oswego. New York 13126. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, Cayuga County at 152 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York 13021, on Mon. March 23rd, 2020 at 9:30 o’clock in the fore noon of that day. why a decree should not be made in the estate of Dale S. McCarthy, Sr., lately domiciled at 884 Howell Road, Port Bryon. New York. In the County of Cayuga, New York, granting Letters of Administration upon the estate of the decedent to Cathy M. McCarthy, or to such other person as may be entitled there to.

Hon. Mark H. Fandrich Dated, Attested and Sealed, February 6th, 2020. Surrogate Mary Anne Marr, Chief Clerk Name of Attorney for Petitioner: P. Michael Shanley. Esq. Tel. No.: 315-343-2610 Address of Attorney: 100 West Utica Street, Oswego, New York 13126 Note: This Citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney-at-law appear for you.

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 ]

[ NOTICE ]

Drenos LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 10/11/19.

Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to 26 Brighton St Rochester, NY 14607 RA: US Corp Agents, Inc. 7014 13 Ave #202 Brooklyn, NY 11228 General Purpose

NAILED IT AGAIN REMODELING, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 10/02/2019. Office loc: Orleans County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Thomas Travis Jr, 223 Oak Orchard Estates, Albion, NY 14411.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

[ NOTICE ] East Henrietta Plaza LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/27/2019. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Law Office of Anthony A. Dinitto, LLC, 2250 West Ridge Rd., Ste. 300, Rochester, NY 14626. General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Greater Rochester Real Estate Council, LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/13/20.

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, 2170 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14618.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ]

Caribbean Distributors LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 1/6/20. Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to 160 Bouckhart Ave Rochester, NY 14622 General Purpose

Humble Beginnings Enterprises 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 Keyvio Owens, 72 Grassmere Park, Rochester, NY 14612.

General Purpose.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Davidandrewpavel platinumservices L.L.C. Arts of Org. filed SSNY 12/4/19. Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to 44 Sunnyside Ln North Chili, NY 14514 RA: US Corp Agents, Inc. 7014 13 Ave #202 Brooklyn, NY 11228 General Purpose

Laine Recruiting, LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 11/15/19. 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 10 Cali Ridge, Fairport, NY 14450.

LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Deep Blue Politics, LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 12/17/19.

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 3349 Monroe Ave., Ste. 150, Rochester, NY 14618. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

Little Button Craft LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 1/2/20. 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 658 South Ave., Rochester, NY 14620. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ]

36 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

[ NOTICE ] Norbut Solar Farms Oz, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/7/2020.

Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 1241 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607.

General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the Supreme Court, Monroe County, on the fourth day of February, 2020 bearing Index Number E2019011378, copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 39 W. Main Street, Rochester, New York, in room number 101 grants me the right, effective on the fourth day of February, 2020, to assume the name of DOUGLAS CHARLES DOCKUM. My present address is 204 Gatehouse Trail, Henrietta New York the date of my birth is January 19, 1954; the place of my birth is Rochester, New York; my present name is DOUGLAS CHARLES MUSSON. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of 125 Woodman Park LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/21/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Sammy Feldman, 3445 Winton Place, Ste 228, Rochester, NY 14623.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of 1343 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/13/15.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 1343 Fairport Nine Mile Road, Webster, NY 14580.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of 248 Field Street, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/29/2020.

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, 32 Ashland Oaks Cir, Spencerport, NY 14559. Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of 2775 Monroe LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/10/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Sammy Feldman, 3445 Winton Place, Ste 228, Rochester, NY 14623.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] NOTICE OF FORMATION of 31BRICKS LLC. Arts. of Org. were filed with Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) on 1/3/2020.

Office in Monroe County.

SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC 56 Nettlecreek Rd, Fairport , N Y 14450 . Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of 447 Long Pond LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/31/19.

Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 28 East Main St, Ste 1500, Rochester, NY 14614. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of 834 East Main LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/23/2019.

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, 511 West Ave, Rochester, NY 14611.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of AfriSino International LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on December 2, 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 552 Mendon Road, Pittsford NY 14534. Purpose: any legal activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of AKM Construction LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 02/06/18 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 Cairn St, Rochester, NY 14611 Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Bodyflight Physical Therapy PLLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 1/7/2020.

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 238 Edgerton Street, Rochester, New York 14607. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of BS POTTERY, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/24/2019.

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, 369 Hampton Blvd, Rochester, NY 14612.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Carnage Outdoors, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 2/5/20.

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, 169 West Church St, Fairport, NY 14450.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of CEMC ASSOCIATES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/23/20.

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 Home Leasing, LLC, 700 Clinton Sq., Rochester, NY 14604.

Purpose: Any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of CEMC ASSOCIATES MM LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/23/20. 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 Home Leasing, LLC, 700 Clinton Sq., Rochester, NY 14604. Purpose: Any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Clark Ridge Hill LLC; Art of Org filed with Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/3/2020; 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 14 Jennifer Circle, Rochester, New York 14606. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of COLLERAN CONSULTING LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 09/03/19.

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 4278 East Ave, Rochester NY 14618. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ]

Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/26/19.

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 LLC, 45 White Village Dr., Rochester, NY 14625.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of E&A HOTEL, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/5/19. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 762 Brooks Avenue, Rochester, NY 14619. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Elizabeth C. Shannon, Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry, PLLC. Articles of Organization filed with the New York Secretary of State (the “NYSOS”) on 1/17/2020.

The office of the PLLC is in Monroe County. The NYSOS is designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. The NYSOS shall mail a copy of such process to 2300 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14610.

The PLLC is formed to practice the profession of nurse practitioner in psychiatry. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Fitz & Sons Properties, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/30/2019. 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 120 Woodbine Avenue Rochester NY 14619 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of CONNEXX LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 2/17/16. 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 120 Woodbine Ave Rochester, NY 14619.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of formation of FLX ONE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/12/2019. 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, 10 Rippingale Rd, Pittsford, NY 14534.

Purpose: any lawful act.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of DIETRICH MANAGEMENT, LLC.

Notice of Formation of Forest Ink LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State

Legal Ads (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 471 N Goodman ST., Rochester, NY 14609.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 3/28/16.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 32 Scarborough Park, Rochester, NY 14625.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of Fowler & Sons LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/28/20.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 4000 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY 14624.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of ICON PRODUCTIONS LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/06/2019. 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 16 Colonist Lane Rochester NY 14624 . Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Gallina Elmgrove LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/31/2019.

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, 1890 Winton Road South, Ste 100, Rochester, NY 14618.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Genesee River Properties LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/30/20.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 501 Vosburg Road, Webster, NY 14580.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of J. Phillips Properties LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/30/20. Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 501 Vosburg Road, Webster, NY 14580.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of JLD ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/30/19.

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 LLC, 111 Colby St., Rochester, NY 14610.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of formation of Gianni Farms LLC (the “LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with the NY Secy of State (“SOS”) on 12/31/19.

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 149 Salt Road, 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 of Formation of JMG Income Tax & Business Services, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/3/2020.

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, 3 N. Main St, Fairport, NY 14450.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Guys’ Premiere Properties, LLC. Art.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Kali Madison Designs LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11-26-19. Office location: Monroe County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon

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 whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 239 High Street Ext, Fairport, NY 14450. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of KDG Real Property Holdings, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/31/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 143 Willowbend Road, Rochester, NY 14618.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of KHVTO LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/28/19. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 40 Gainsborough Pl, W Henrietta, NY 14586.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of Limited Liability Company.

Name: PENROC ENVIRONMENTAL LLC (“LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with NY Secretary of State (“SSNY”) on 01/23/2020. NY office location is Monroe County. 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 LLC at 16 Parham Drive, Penfield, NY 14526.

Purpose/character of LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Lucid Garden LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 11/29/2019. 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 1100 Pittsford Mendon Ctr Rd Honeoye Falls, NY 14472. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of McKay Hospitality, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 5/13/2019.

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, 625 Panorama Trl, Bldg #2, Ste 130, Rochester, NY 14625.

Purpose: any lawful act.

Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 589 Brown Street, Rochester NY 14611. Purpose: any lawful activities.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC at 25 Parr Circle, Rochester, NY 14617. Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of Premier Communities LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/13/2019. 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 105 West Ave, Fairport, NY 14450 . Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of Seven 5 Realty LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1219-19 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 629 WHISPERING PINES CIRCLE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, 14612.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of formation of MINDFUL PSYCHOLOGY P.L.L.C..

Art.of Org. filed Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) 1/22/2020.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 3200 Brighton Henrietta Town Line Road, Rochester, NY 14623. Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of MJM Incentives Property LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/23/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 6605 Pittsford Palmyra Road, Ste W-5, Fairport, NY 14450. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Mollywhop Productions LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 1/27/2020. 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 197 Orchard Park, Rochester, New York 14609. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Penson Properties LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 1/7/2020. 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 1881 East Ave, 2nd Floor, Rochester, New York 14610. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Picture Perfect Illustration LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) DATE: September 26, 2019.

Office location:

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Qu Yang Property Management LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/10/20. Office location: Monroe County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, c/o Sammy Feldman, 3445 Winton Place, Ste 228, Rochester, NY 14623.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Sibley Mercantile OF MM LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/17/19. 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.

County. The United States Corporation Agents, Inc. has been designated as agent upon whom process against the Company may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: 734 Grand Avenue, Rochester NY 14609. The purpose of the Company is any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of T & D Greenwell Properties, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/15/2020.

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, 336 Church Rd, Hilton, NY 14468.

Purpose: any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of THE CREW’S GRILL LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/31/2019. 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 13 Leah Ln North Chili, NY 14514. Purpose: any lawful activities.

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of Ritual Clay Company LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) January 3 2020. 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 234 Mill Street Rochester, NY 14614 . Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of Sibley Mercantile OZ LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/17/19.

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 ]

Notice of Formation of RK FARMS, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/02/20.

Office location: Orleans County. Princ. office of LLC: 12130 Alps Rd., Lyndonville, NY 14098.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Sneaker Beat LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 12/17/2019. 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 the LLC at: 2111 East Avenue, Apt. M, Rochester, New York 14610. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

[ NOTICE ]

Notice of Formation of Soulstainable Living LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the New York Department of State on 09/20/2019. Its office is located in Monroe

Notice of Formation of Violet City Properties LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/30/20. Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process

Notice of Formation of Rochester Cart Rentals LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) January 30, 2020. Office location: Monroe County.

[ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of The Kilminster Group, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 1/30/20. 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 138 Old North Hi Rochester, NY 14617 . Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Twin Pillars Properties LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 01/07/20 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 the LLC at 69 Crossfield Road, Rochester, NY 14609.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 501 Vosburg Road, Webster, NY 14580.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of formation of VITAL HEALTH MEDICAL CARE P.L.L.C.. Art.of Org. filed Secretary of State of NY (“SSNY”) 1/28/2020. Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 23 Hadley Court, Pittsford, NY 14534. Purpose: any lawful purpose. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Williamson Commons, LLC Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 1/7/2020. 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 1180 Sagebrook Way, Webster, New York 14580. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Formation of Yayalash LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with Sec’y of State (SSNY) on 12/23/2019. Office location: 19 Prince Street, Rochester, NY 14607. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC at 19 Prince St, Rochester, NY 14607. Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of 640 Fishers Road LLC. App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/24/19.

Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 12/19/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 2604 Elmwood Ave, Ste 352, Rochester, NY 14618.

DE address of LLC: 874 Walker Rd, Ste C, Dover, DE 19904. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of Accurate Analytical Testing, LLC. App. for

rochestercitynewspaper.com CITY 37

Legal Ads Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 1/24/20. Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed in Michigan (MI) on 12/3/04. 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. MI address of LLC: 30105 Beverly Rd, Romulus, MI 48174.

Arts. of Org. filed with MI Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, PO Box 30054, Lansing, MI 48909. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of Conductor Property Management, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 11/21/19. Office location: Monroe County.

Princ. bus. addr.: 1020 Lee Rd, Rochester, NY, 14606. LLC formed in DE on 8/5/19. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o Conductor Property Management, 1020 Lee Rd, Rochester, NY, 14606. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 9 E. Loockerman Street, Suite 311, Dover, Delaware 19901. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Sec. of State, 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: all lawful purposes. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of Highland Assets, LLC. Authority filed with NY Dept. of State on 2/3/20. Office location: Monroe County. LLC organized in SD on 9/11/19. NY Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom

process against it may be served and shall mail process to the principal office address: Highland Assets, LLC, 3349 Monroe Ave., #171, Rochester, NY 14618.

Arts. of Org. filed with SD Sec. of State, 500 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, SD 57501. Purpose: all lawful purposes. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of Nelnet Servicing, LLC. Authority filed with NYS Dept. of State 09/30/19, formed in NE 10/27/08. Princ. bus. addr.: 121 S. 13th Street, Ste 100, Lincoln, NE 68508. SSNY design agent of LLC & shall mail process to same address. NE address of LLC: same address.

Arts. of Org. filed with NE Secy of State, P.O. Box 94608, Lincoln, NE 68509-4608. Purpose: all lawful purposes. [ NOTICE ] Notice of Qualification of RHNY HOTELS LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/31/20.

Office location: Monroe County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/13/19. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Unisearch, Inc., 99 Washington Ave, Ste 805A, Albany, NY 12210-2822, also the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Address to be maintained in DE: c/o Unisearch, Inc., 28 Old Rudnick Ln., Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., - Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

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 ] Notice of Qualification of Rose & Associates LLC. Fictitious name in NY State: Rose Surgical Products LLC. App. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/19/19. Office location: Monroe County.

LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 9/26/18. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: 401 Allens Creek Road, Rochester, NY 14618. DE address of LLC: The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Arts. of Org. filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, #4, Dover, DE 19901.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ NOTICE ] ONE EIGHTY HOLDINGS LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 1/29/2020. 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 c/o the LLC, 180 St. Paul Street, #406, Attn: Member, Rochester, NY 14604.

LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Premier Insurance Agency LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/16/2020. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Law Office of Anthony A. Dinitto, LLC, 2250 West Ridge Rd., Ste. 300, Rochester, NY 14626. General Purpose.

[ NOTICE ] Real Relief Properties LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/3/2020. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 72 Grassmere Park, Rochester, NY 14612. General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Robyn’s Nest Boutique LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 1/16/2020. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Law Office of Anthony A. Dinitto, LLC, 2250 West Ridge Rd., Ste. 300, Rochester, NY 14626. General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Ruff Mutts Grooming, 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 204 Paddy Hill Dr, Rochester, NY 14616. General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] Siyon Tax Service, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/22/2019. Cty: Monroe. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to Suk Biswa, 1249 Latta Rd Apt 4, Rochester, NY 14612.

General Purpose. [ NOTICE ] TRACK ONE, LLC (LLC) filed Arts. of Org. with NY Secy. of State (SS) on 5/6/2003. 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, 1800 Chase Square, Rochester, NY 14604. LLC’s purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE ] Tree Of Life Counseling, Lcsw, PLLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 12/20/19.

Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to 95 Allens Creek Rd Building 1 #250 Rochester, NY 14618 General Purpose [ NOTICE ] UR Portfolio I, LLC, Arts of Org filed with SSNY on 12/04/19. Off. Loc.: Monroe County, SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC, 282 S. 5th St #3B, Brooklyn, NY 11211.

Purpose: to engage in any lawful act. [ NOTICE ] Viticulture L.L.C. Arts of Org. filed SSNY 9/11/19.

Office: Monroe Co. SSNY design agent of LLC upon whom process may be served & mail to Courtney Benson 1900 Empire Blvd #116 Webster, NY 14580 General Purpose [ NOTICE } City Newspaper Jan 29, Feb 5,12,19,26, Mar 4 Ref #52618

Notice of Formation of National Sweepstakes Company, LLC. Art. of Org. filed Sec’y of State (SSNY) 3/24/11.

Office location: Monroe Co. SSNY designated

as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1134 East Union Street, Newark, NY 14513.

Purpose: any lawful activities. [ Notice of Formation ] 45 Bellaqua, LLC (“LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with the NY Sec. of State (“SSNY”) on 1/10/20. 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 4545 E River Rd, Suite 100, West Henrietta, NY 14586. Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] Dixon Delivery Service LLC filed Arts. of Org. with Sec. of State on November 5, 2019.

Office Loc: Monroe County. United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave., Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 is designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. United States Corporation Agents, Inc. may mail a copy of process to 320 Miramar Road, Rochester, NY, 14624. The purpose of the company is any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION ] NAME: Affronti, LLC (“PLLC”) filed Arts of Org with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on January 8, 2020. Principal office: Monroe County, New York. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to 130 D Linden Oaks, Rochester, NY 14625 Attn: Member.

Purpose: practice of law. [ Notice of Formation ] Rochester Patio and Landscape, LLC (“LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with the NY Sec. of State (“SSNY”) on 1/8/20. 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 2509 Manitou Road, Rochester, NY 14624.

Purpose: any lawful activity. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ] The name of the LLC is Scents By Design LLC. The Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 1/16/20. 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 260 Coolidge Rd, Rochester, NY 14622. The LLC is managed by a manager.

The purpose of the LLC is any lawful business. [ NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LLC ] Wendy Carter Development Consulting LLC filed articles of organization with the New York Secretary of State on 2/5/2020 with an effective date of formation of 2/5/2020.

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 420 W. Elm St., East

Rochester, NY 14445.

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 W GAMING SOUTH, LLC ] W Gaming South, LLC (the “LLC”) filed Articles of Organization with NY Secretary of State (SSNY) 1/9/20.

Office location: Monroe County, NY. Principal business location: 1265 Scottsville Rd, Rochester, NY 14624.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to CT Corporation System, 28 Liberty Street, NY, NY 10005 which is also the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity. [ PUBLIC NOTICE ] Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell at Online Public Auction pursuant to New York State Lien Law, Article 8, Section 182, per order of River Campus Storage, 169 Flanders St, Rochester, NY at www.bid13.com.

The personal property described as household goods heretofore stored with the undersigned

by Rashad Thompson, Unit #246, beginning on Feb 20. All sales are subject to prior claim, postponement and/or cancellation.

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

38 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020

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40 CITY FEBRUARY 12 - 18, 2020