Local News from Upstate New York

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Local group to compete on TV show 'The Sing-Off"

A local a capella group will hit the national airwaves next week in a singing competiton that is all about their voices. The University of Rochester's all-male a capella group The Yellow Jackets will be one of the contestants on "The Sing-Off," premiering Monday night on NBC. A capella groups from around the country go head to head on the show judged by some of the best in the business."It's an honor," said Jamal Moore. "We are so grateful to be a part of this season of "The Sing-Off." It was so much fun out there and we can't wait for it to air."
I heard them perform this morning on local TV and they are good. Of course, Rochester is noted for producing musicians and singers with its Eastman School of Music. So it's not surprising that they would be asked to audition for the show and make it. I'll be eagerly awaiting the show to hear them and their competition. BTW the nickname of the U of R is the Yellowjackets (the bee, that is)

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]Apple lovers can prepare for sweet, tasty season.

With fall just around the corner, farmers are declaring it's apple picking time! The harvest is undrway, offering a wide variety of flavors. Local farmers are saying that this season's crop is serving up an extra tasty treat. For those who prefer a sweeter apple, you ar in luck. The intense heat and sunshine brought to the area this summer has made this season's apple crop more sweet. But be warned - they will look dull (fortunately the color is no real indicatin of the apple's quality). And for those who like to pick their own - the in-apple for picking this year - Honeycrisp! Farmers are crossing their fingers for the ideal picking weather - not too hot, lots of sun and a bit of a breeze.

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Webster woman sayss she's had Mussolini's uniform in her closet for 30 years

You may call it a hidden treasure. “It depends how you use the word treasure,” said Regina Moriconi, of Webster. For her the suitcase in the back of her closet is just a souvenir. “We have a lot of friends who never knew about this,” said Regina. They didn't know she and her late husband Paul had the Italian dictator's uniform and the dress of his mistress, Claretta Pettaci in their home.
Paul acquired them while stationed in Milan as a secretary for the Allied Military Government during WW II and shipped it home to his mother in Rochester. “Was it a prize possession or was he proud of it, no. You’re not proud of Mussolini in any shape or form,” said Regina. Now she's auctioning them off along with some documents that her husband saved, including Mussolini's autopsy report. The items are now in Houston. Bids for the clothes start at $5000 and the documents, $250. They will be sold through Heritage Auction in Dallas on Sunday.

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Sept 18, 2011

" Taking The Stress Away " This was the peaceful scene on Seneca Lake. Photo by Connie Jones-Jensen.
This is the lake I go to when I want to get away from things and find peace. It works every time.

Pumpkin crop poor after Hurricane Irene

Nrtheastern states may face a jack-o'-lantern shortage this Halloween after farmers say Hurricane Irene destroyed 100s of pumpkin patches across the region. Wholesale prices doubled in some places as farmers nurse their surviving plants toward a late harvest after the hurricane swept through, washing away entire crops for some farmers. And some had difficulties even before Irene. Heavy spring rains meant many farms had to ostpone planting for 2-3 weeks which set back the fall harvest. So instead of fields filled with nice, bright orange pumpkins, you find skimpy pickings wherever you go.

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21 Sept 2011

Investing in Finger Lakes tourism.

Tourism plays a vital economic role in the Finger Lakes Region. Keeping it alive during difficult economic times is a challenge travel professionals are trying to tackle. Government leaders and officials from Rochester and AAA of Western and Central New York got together to discuss ways to strengthen tourism throughout the Finger Lakes.
The annual Rochester International Jazz Festival and Lilac Festival are two of Rochester's main tourist attractions. Monroe County represents more than 35% of the region's tourism sales with visitors spending more than $880 million annually.
“It ranks right up there with the importance that agriculture is,” explained Jeff Adair, President of the county legislature. “To the small businesses we have in the area, I think it's vitally important. Not only is it vitally important just for the economic part of it, but also for our image. I think that there is nothing better than our tourism and what we have to promote in our area than this."
Tourism in the Finger Lakes is a nearly $2.5 billion industry supporting more than 56,000 jobs. Partnerships, like the one between Visit Rochester and AAA, are key to keeping tourism viable in this struggling economy. “AAA has been our partner for 50 years, that's a long time to be in a business relationship,” said Ed Hall, President and CEO of Visit Rochester. “It's a way to grow our business; it's a way to grow their business. It's a symbiotic relationship and that's how we're staying alive and growing in a tough economy."
In addition to the attractions that Rochester offers, there's the Memorial Day Weekend Lake Trout Derby in Geneva, NY and the Save the Whale Festival later in the summer. There are the numerous wine trails throughout the area, along with the National Woman's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls. That village is also celebrating its fame as the village portrayed in the annual Christmas film, It's a Wonderful World. On the third weekend in July, they celebrate Convention Days, as the home of the first Women's Rights Convention in 1848. And for NASCAR fans, there is the Weekend at the Glen, when NASCAR comes to the Finger Lakes at the road race in Watkins Glen, NY.

]Medina, NY mayor resigns, deployed to Afghanistan.
The mayor of Medina resigned from his post earlier this month after announcing he will be heading into active duty overseas. Adam Tabelski has served as the village of Medina's mayor for over three years. As a member of the Army National Guard, he is set to be deployed to Afghanistan. He will leave for training next week and will head overseas for a year on November 30th. In his absence, deputy mayor Andrew Meier has taken on the leadership role. Tabelski said an election will take place in March for the next full term mayor.

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Indian tribes offer to build new relationship with NY.

Top tribal leaders in New York said they wanted to move beyond the fighting over cigarette taxes that has dominated their relations with the state, urging Albany to partner with the tribes that run some of upstate’s fastest growing companies.

Ray Halbritter of the Oneida Nation that operates Turning Stone Casino and a string of retail stores, noted that no Native Americans were appointed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 10 regional economic development councils. “Why is that?” Halbritter said at the state’s first hearing on “State-Native American Relations.” Gov. Cuomo had no immediate comment. Sen. George Maziarz of western New York says he will pass along the tribes’ concern to the governor.

The tribes’ offer of a new relationship comes as Cuomo is exacting tax revenue from Indian sales of cigarettes that previous governors didn’t, and while tribes try to negotiate a less costly deal. Cuomo also is in negotiations over land claims that continue with some tribes. Cuomo is also considering action that would allow non-Indian casinos to open in New York.

Tribal leaders, however, said their goal is to soften that adversarial relationship and provide economic development to the state without costly tax breaks to companies that could move again chasing the next best deal. “Through good times and bad times, through poverty and prosperity, we have been here and we will be here to the end of time,” said Ray Halbritter. “That is our guarantee ... it is the same guarantee our people made to George Washington in 1794.”

Maziarz said a fast way to benefit from a better relationship is to support the Senecas’ federal application to operate a hydropower dam at the Pennsylvania border. Federal and state officials forced the tribe off 10,000 acres in 1961 and their homes were burned to make way for a reservoir as part of the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in northern Pennsylvania that is run by an Ohio-based company. Maziarz said the dam is still a scar for the Senecas. The deal would help heal that and the tribe agrees to provide much needed energy to Jamestown and the Southern Tier, which needs it to attract employers. “If the governor were to say we support the Senecas’ application for this license, we can’t lose, the state of New York can’t lose,” Maziarz said.

The St. Regis Mohawks in Franklin County at the Canadian border say the state could be a partner as the tribe diversifies from gambling into “sorely needed” opportunities including bringing public transportation to the sparsely populated region. “While the population of our neighboring towns is dwindling, our population is growing and so is our potential,” said Ron LaFrance Sr., a chief of the St. Regis Mohawks at the Canada border. LaFrance said the tribe envisions other “sorely needed” opportunities, including bringing public transportation to the sparsely populated northern New York region. But trust will have to be earned at both ends first.

Richard Nephew, chairman of the Seneca Nation Council, said that for all the state’s claims that tribes owe state taxes, the state still owes the tribe. He cited the 1976 expressway agreement in which the tribe allowed a highway that was to become Interstate 86 to go through Seneca territory in the Southern Tier. The tribe received $494,386 and promises to maintain the road as well as other highways and to improve health care for nation members, promises Nephew said haven’t been kept. “Trusting New York again,” Nephew said, “my people, say, ‘Are you crazy?’”

I hope that the local Indian tribes can come tosome type of accommodation with the state. Both sides could certainly use the benefits of such a relationship.

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Indian tribes offer to build new relationship with NY.

Top tribal leaders in New York said they wanted to move beyond the fighting over cigarette taxes that has dominated their relations with the state, urging Albany to partner with the tribes that run some of upstate’s fastest growing companies.

Ray Halbritter of the Oneida Nation that operates Turning Stone Casino and a string of retail stores, noted that no Native Americans were appointed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 10 regional economic development councils. “Why is that?” Halbritter said at the state’s first hearing on “State-Native American Relations.” Gov. Cuomo had no immediate comment. Sen. George Maziarz of western New York says he will pass along the tribes’ concern to the governor.

The tribes’ offer of a new relationship comes as Cuomo is exacting tax revenue from Indian sales of cigarettes that previous governors didn’t, and while tribes try to negotiate a less costly deal. Cuomo also is in negotiations over land claims that continue with some tribes. Cuomo is also considering action that would allow non-Indian casinos to open in New York.

Tribal leaders, however, said their goal is to soften that adversarial relationship and provide economic development to the state without costly tax breaks to companies that could move again chasing the next best deal. “Through good times and bad times, through poverty and prosperity, we have been here and we will be here to the end of time,” said Ray Halbritter. “That is our guarantee ... it is the same guarantee our people made to George Washington in 1794.”

Maziarz said a fast way to benefit from a better relationship is to support the Senecas’ federal application to operate a hydropower dam at the Pennsylvania border. Federal and state officials forced the tribe off 10,000 acres in 1961 and their homes were burned to make way for a reservoir as part of the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River in northern Pennsylvania that is run by an Ohio-based company. Maziarz said the dam is still a scar for the Senecas. The deal would help heal that and the tribe agrees to provide much needed energy to Jamestown and the Southern Tier, which needs it to attract employers. “If the governor were to say we support the Senecas’ application for this license, we can’t lose, the state of New York can’t lose,” Maziarz said.

The St. Regis Mohawks in Franklin County at the Canadian border say the state could be a partner as the tribe diversifies from gambling into “sorely needed” opportunities including bringing public transportation to the sparsely populated region. “While the population of our neighboring towns is dwindling, our population is growing and so is our potential,” said Ron LaFrance Sr., a chief of the St. Regis Mohawks at the Canada border. LaFrance said the tribe envisions other “sorely needed” opportunities, including bringing public transportation to the sparsely populated northern New York region. But trust will have to be earned at both ends first.

Richard Nephew, chairman of the Seneca Nation Council, said that for all the state’s claims that tribes owe state taxes, the state still owes the tribe. He cited the 1976 expressway agreement in which the tribe allowed a highway that was to become Interstate 86 to go through Seneca territory in the Southern Tier. The tribe received $494,386 and promises to maintain the road as well as other highways and to improve health care for nation members, promises Nephew said haven’t been kept. “Trusting New York again,” Nephew said, “my people, say, ‘Are you crazy?’”

I hope that the local Indian tribes can come tosome type of accommodation with the state. Both sides could certainly use the benefits of such a relationship.

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No public mandate to fast-track fracking in New York

Two recent opinion polls of New York State voters reveal a public that is deeply divided on the issue of industrial gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The results would seem to undercut the State Department of Environmental Conservation's current plans for fast-tracking the hydro-fracking environmental review and administrative rule-making processes here.

According to a new Quinnipiac poll, upstate New Yorkers - "who have the most to gain in terms of jobs and the most to lose in terms of the environment" if fracking moves forward - are almost evenly split on the issue, with 47% opposed and 43% in support. The survey also shows that while 51% of all NYS voters polled believe fracking will damage the environment, a slight plurality (45%-41%) support drilling. Voters living in the suburbs support drilling, this survey found, 56%-31%, with New York City voters evenly split (41%-41%). (Ironically, the greater support for drilling by NYC and suburban residents may be due to their awareness of the state's plan to prohibit drilling in the Catskill/Delaware watershed, which supplies drinking water to New York City and Westchester County residents.) Just last month, a NY1/YNN-Marist poll found even less support for drilling: 37% of registered voters opposed drilling, versus 33% in support. 30% were unsure.

Meanwhile, the gas industry continues its misleading multi-million dollar publicity campaign to convince state residents that industrial gas drilling is already as safe as motherhood and apple pie.

Taken together, these polls tell us that the people of New York have not given New York State Environmental Commissioner Joe Martens a mandate to fast-track drilling. If anything, they confirm that there's still a lot of division over fracking around the state. And they reinforce the message that the Department would be well advised to stop rushing the process, to listen carefully to the public, and to rethink the direction it is heading in.

What's at stake is nothing less than protection of the state's water, air and land, and the quality of life in many communities for future generations.

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YWCA weighs in on poverty stats and the impact on local women.
A job and a place to call home, those are two things YWCA resident "Lynn" says she desperately wants and needs. “It will happen, it will happen, I’m optimistic about that,” said Lynn, a YWCA client. "Lynn" isn’t her real name. She does not want to be identified. She says she lost her job in the mental health field six years ago. “I experienced a job loss and after the job loss I experienced a lot of anxiety and stress,” she said.
“Lynn” is now a client of the YWCA’s housing program. “They are really great with providing directive for me with helping me get back on my feet,” said Lynn. She’s just one of the women that take up the 125 housing units the YWCA offers.
The organization provides emergency, transitional and long-term housing for women and children. And more often, they are assisting women battling poverty due to unemployment. “It’s a real challenge when the jobs just aren’t out there for them,” said Jean Carroll, president and CEO. Carroll says 31% of women who live in Rochester live in poverty. It’s part of the reason why their housing program is usually full.
“Sixty% of women with children under the age of five in Rochester are living in poverty,” said Carroll. She says the economy is a large factor. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy, since 2007 only 9.1% of jobs lost by women have been regained, for men 28% have been regained.
"We try to provide the supports they need to get through the current crisis,” said Carroll. And while the organization depends on community support to help with the issue, women like “Lynn” say no matter the stats, she’ll keep fighting for her goal. “I will be moving toward the long-term housing and I’m looking forward to that,” said Lynn.

Lollypop Farm hosts 14th annual Barktober Fest.
Barktober Fest is unleashing some fun and excitement this weekend for a good cause. Lollypop Farm is inviting the community to come out to its biggest fundraiser of the year, the 14th annual Barktober Fest. The pet friendly event features about 50 local and national vendors set up with a variety of pet products.
The money raised during the event will support homeless and abused pets in the community. "We don't receive any government funding. We receive support exclusively from the community, so this is incredibly important to support our operation costs," said Adrienne McHargue, Barktober Fest Organizer.
The event raised $122,600. In statement Lollypop said, "While we weren’t able to meet our goal for the event," explains Alice Calabrese, CAWA, Lollypop Farm president and CEO, “we are truly grateful for the generous support from those who participated and donated to the event." An estimated 2,500 people attended the event.

Attica Prison locks down after fights.

For the first time in five years, Attica State Prison went into lockdown following two fights this week. Many residents were hearing about the lockdown at Attica State Prison for the first time Friday. New York State Department of Corrections spokesman Peter Cutler says the lockdown was put into place Friday following fights at the prison Wednesday and Thursday.
Cutler says 123 inmates were in the prison's "A" yard when six inmates were involved in a fight Wednesday. One inmate was taken to ECMC with minor injuries and has since returned to the prison. On Thursday, Cutler says 121 inmates were in the same yard when 26 inmates broke out into a fight. Two prisoners were injured and taken to the Wyoming County Community Hospital for treatment. They have also returned to the prison.
Cutler says prisoners refused cease and desist orders, and a long-range chemical agent projectile had to be fired during both fights. Investigators say the fights are unrelated, but the superintendent of the prison determined the lockdown was necessary. "I think due to the great professionalism of the officers that staff the facility and receive the population, they do a great job in preventing these incidents from happening on a greater basis and diffusing them when they occur," said Peter Cutler, spokesperson.
Residents living near the prison were not surprised to hear the news of a mishap between inmates. "Yeah things happen up here all the time and it's better for the guards that they put it in lockdown. They're safer and stuff," said Attica resident Donna Bietz. "It's gonna happen anywhere when you're cooped up in the general population. Ya know I mean different personalities, different races, different everything," said Dan Conti, Attica resident.
The residents are not concerned and the prison has a proper handle on the situation. Cutler says the lockdown is expected to be in place for five to seven days. Cells will be searched during that time for any contraband. Inmates will not be allowed to participate in recreational activities and meals will be served inside the inmates cells. Investigators say the fights that triggered the lockdown are not related. This incident comes just 10 days after the 40th anniversary of the Attica Prison riots.

Sports
New law designed to protect student head injuries.
Starting next year, the Concussion Management Awareness Act will usher in a new set of guidelines for high school student-athletes who suffer a concussion. These statewide standards are designed to reduce the risk of serious brain injury in the short and long-term. Medical experts hope the new law protects high school athletes from themselves.
Football on any level is a contact sport and Owen Peters may not be the biggest player on the field, but he is fearless. "He lets them know that size doesn't matter," said Karen Knapp, Owen's mom. It's what makes him a good player. It also puts Owen and others like him at risk. "A lot of the boys are going to want to do that. They want to play and they don't care about the injury," said Knapp.
Last year, Owen suffered a concussion in practice. He tried to talk his way back on the field. "He's like, 'I can beat the test. I can play.' And I'm like, you can't go back until the doctor says so," said Knapp. Owen was kept on the sidelines until he was symptom free for 24 hours. It's a move doctors say helped him avoid something more serious. "Because getting hit during that period of recovery, that's the problem for permanent brain damage," said Dr. Jeff Bazarian.
Dr. Bazarian specializes in treating concussions at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He says a new state law that mandates a specific treatment of a concussion is long overdue. "We don't want our student athletes to have an undiagnosed condition, not to get the right treatments, go back to play too early, have another hit. That's what we're trying to prevent," said Dr. Bazarian.
Years of research has shown professional athletes who suffer multiple concussions are more likely to be diagnosed with conditions like dementia or Alzheimer's at an early age. Another more immediate concern is second impact syndrome. "That's somebody who gets a hit, then another hit that results in death. It doesn't happen very often, but it's traumatic and it's entirely preventable," said Dr. Bazarian.
Currently trainers, or school nurses, can clear a player to return to practice. Starting next year, that clearance can only come from a licensed physician. "So, everybody follows the same protocols. We have something we can put on website and hand out to parents," said Jason Wentworth, athletic trainer at Brockport High School.
While Owen hasn't missed a beat, his mother knows it could have been more serious. "It deals with the brain. It's not like you can go in there and fix it like a broken arm or a broken leg," said Knapp.

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How we get news.
A new survey says a bit of tradition mixed with technology pretty much makes up the way most of us now get our news. A new study shows that more people get their news from TV than any other place. The same Pew Research Center study shows people like a growing mix, and a reliance on many outlets, not to mention many forms of media. Three in four respondents said they watched TV news at least once a week. Ranking fourth is newspaper, behind word of mouth, and radio. Social media is ranked number five
Demographics make a difference. That’s wholly apparent in Tom Proietti's media class at St. John Fisher College, where just a handful watch the news on TV and fewer get the paper. "What has happened is the set of skills for the news producers and news consumers are so dramatically changing every single day,” said Proietti. His point of change refers to the abundance of new media outlets, web sites and social media like Facebook and Twitter, which many in the traditional media have embraced.
"This is all about local news. TV is primary, but so many other things are starting to blend in the mix. Newspaper is doing well, and if I were a local TV station, I'd be investing a lot more time and money in local news,” said Proietti.
While more people are following the news, the survey indicates trust is an issue. When it comes to objectivity and believability, journalists are right up there with used car salesmen. "A lot of that will never go away. That's been the view of the press, that some portion of the press has been somewhat corrupt,” said Proietti. Pew researchers found 75% of respondents believe journalists can't get the facts straight, and that three in five are biased.
That perception aside, Proietti says these days, ratings and circulation numbers shouldn't be as big a deal for media outlets, as covering all the bases. Consumers on the whole already have.
"It's probably more important how we figure out how people put together this buffet of news that's available,” said Proietti.

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Buffalo Sabres assign 14 to Rochester
For the first time since 2007, Sabres prospects hit the ice for the start of Rochester Americans training camp. Head coach Ron Rolston put his players through practice on Monday afternoon and a handful of fans were present to witness the re-birth of the Sabres / Amerks affiliation. The Sabres assigned 14 players to Rochester - among them are highly regarded forwards Marcus Foligno and Zack Kassian. Also designated for Rochester was a former Amerk, Michael Ryan. Ryan resigned with the Sabres after spending parts of the last three seasons with Carolina, Columbus, and Philadelphia. Rochester opens the season at Hamilton on October 8th.

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Old World, Not Trendy by Harvey Reissig, The Grape Guru

Finger Lakes winemakers have made great strides during the last decade in improving the overall quality of red wines, and wine lovers are starting to take notice — even though we are still not well known as a red wine location. Our reds are fruity and pair well with food, but the general style is similar to those from cooler climate Old World wine production regions. Wines from warmer areas such as California and Australia often have high levels of alcohol and a soft finish with traces of residual sugar.
For many reasons, it is difficult to produce reasonably priced Finger Lakes reds. For instance, our growing season is short and it can be difficult for grape varieties such as merlot and cabernet sauvignon to fully mature. Although traditional native grapes such as Concord, and older French hybrids such as baco, foch and chancellor, can be grown relatively easily here, many consumers are demanding reds made with more sophisticated Old World varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir.
Fortunately, for frugal red wine lovers, many area winemakers are starting to take innovative approaches to produce high-quality, dry reds that can be marketed in the $10 to $15 range. The official release in 2006 by Cornell University of two species of high-quality hybrids is undoubtedly facilitating the production of high-quality, less expensive red table wines. Noiret (pronounced “nwahr-ay”) is a hybrid red wine grape resulting from a cross made in 1973 that has chancellor and Steuben in its parentage. Wines made from this grape have a nice tannic structure and a lack of typical herbaceous hybrid flavors. The wine also has flavors and aromas of blackberry, a smoky complexity and a distinctive aftertaste of black pepper. The overall flavor and aroma profile is somewhat similar to wines from the upper Rhone Valley in France. The other new hybrid, corot noir (pronounced “kor-oh nwahr”) has Steuben, chancellor and Villard blanc in its parentage. It creates wines with fairly firm tannins and cherry and red berry flavors and aromas. Wines produced from this grape are fresh and fruity and have a Beaujolais-type character.
Most of the “newer style” inexpensive reds being produced here are made by blending less expensive New York vinifera grapes, such as cabernet franc and lemberger, with noiret and corot noir. These relatively dry wines are usually simple, fruity and generally similar to lighter-style Rhone and Beaujolais wines. Most are aged for a relatively short period of time in oak barrels and meant to be consumed fairly quickly. They will pair well with simple food such as pasta, pizza and grilled meat. An increasing number of local wineries are producing these styles of reds. I predict that this trend will continue and eventually these relatively sophisticated blends will gradually replace older-style reds produced from traditional French hybrids. These fresh, fruity blends are a perfect complement to fall picnic fare and will even be suitable for simple holiday dinners. These wines are priced so that they can be enjoyed more frequently with simple meals and not reserved for special occasions.

Reissig, an entomologist at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, is a wine enthusiast who has visited wineries in the Napa and Sonoma regions in California and extensively toured Finger Lakes Vineyards for 30 years. He also regularly serves on tasting panels and as a judge for wine competitions.

Some newer style reds
A look at “newer style” Finger Lakes reds

• Penguin Bay, 2005 Maroon Four — $14. One of the first commercial wines to use the new red wine grapes released by Cornell. A blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, corot noir and noiret. A Rhone style with smoke, plums and a spicy black pepper finish. Goes well with red meat and other hearty dishes.

• Red Newt Red Eft — $11.99. A blend of cabernet franc (27%), cabernet sauvignon (23%), syrah (16%), pinot noir (4%), noiret (4%) and merlot (16%). Deep, dark red color. An earthy wine with good body and texture on the palate. Smoky, earthy, plum jam and black pepper. A definite Rhone style.

• Fulkerson Burn tray — $11.99. A blend of noiret (33%) and cabernet sauvignon (66%). A dark, red wine with mellow, supple tannins. Black currant and elderberry flavors and aromas with a black pepper finish.

• Hunt Country Alchemy — $13.99. A blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and noiret. Smoky, black cherry flavors and aromas. A black pepper aftertaste with a nice tannic structure.

• Ravines Keuka Village Red 2010 — $12.95. The first year that this blend of cabernet franc (40%) and noiret (60%) has been produced by this winery. Black pepper with notes of plum jam. A pleasant wine with supple tannins and a soft finish. Relatively low in alcohol (12%). Goes well with a variety of simple food dishes.

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The following is a letter to a local newspaper from a woman living in a suburb of Rochester. I endorse her sentiments totally, even though I luckily don't live in her congressional district.

Women of the 29th Congressional District, are you aware of what your representative, Tea Party Republican Tom Reed, is doing to your health care and reproductive rights?
On Oct. 13, Reed joined other small-minded Republicans pandering to their base, and passed H.R. 358, an extreme anti-choice bill, one that would allow a hospital to refuse any woman a life-saving abortion, even if she were to die without it. It also bans insurance coverage of abortion in state health-insurance exchanges. The right to an abortion is the law of the land.
Last November, Reed and the rest of the Tea Party Republicans were swept into office on a cry of Jobs, Jobs, Jobs! Since then, the Republican-controlled House has not passed a single bill that would create a single job. They are way too busy being the moral police. They have passed seven bills assaulting women’s health care and others trying to defund Planned Parenthood, an agency that offers extensive health care to poor women. Besides attacking health care, Republicans are also fired up about defunding public broadcasting, aid to the arts and the EPA, and rescinding banking and business regulations.
Think carefully who you vote for. A political party which promotes simplistic solutions to complex problems do not the problems solve.
It is said that the 29th District will probably disappear in redistricting. Until such time, Reed should be recalled or, better still, resign, so that a less misogynistic 29th Congressional representative could start the most important work of Congress right now, creating jobs, which will help our economy grow, unite our citizens and give hope to those who have none.


EDITOR'S NOTE: Rep. Tom Reed’s 29th District includes all of Ontario County except Geneva and parts of Monroe County including Gates, Chili, Henrietta, Perinton and Brighton.

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Windstream to build office at Midtown Rochester site.

The company that's in the process of buying PAETEC announced that it will move forward with plans to build a regional headquarters at the former Midtown site. Redevelopment of the nine-acre parcel in downtown Rochester was uncertain after Windstream's acquisition of PAETEC was announced in late July.
Windstream's downtown presence will be smaller than the proposed $55 million PAETEC development that was expected to house 700 local workers. CEO Jeff Gardner said 335 Windstream employees could fill the first two floors of the former Seneca Building.
The building and development will be owned and leased by The Pike Company. Pike was hired as the local construction manager on the PAETEC project. Pike will also be responsible for finding a tenant for the third floor of the building. Pike, city and state leaders believe Windstream's 15-year lease at the Midtown site is a significant step forward. "Albeit smaller, it's a great momentum shift to what we need downtown and Pike Company's very excited about being part of it," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of The Pike Company. "We have to persevere, and there will be things that will happen with this Midtown project from here on in that won't go the way we want to go, and when they happen, we're going to pick ourselves up. We're going to team with the people you saw here today and we're going to keep on going because that's what it takes to be successful," said Tom Richards, (D), Rochester mayor.
As part of the agreement, Senator Charles Schumer and the city agreed to withdraw merger objections it filed with the FCC and New York Public Service Commission. Construction on Windstream's regional headquarters is expected to begin in the spring. Windstream plans to move in by mid-2013.
Local business development leaders praised Monday's announcement. Rochester Downtown Development Corp. president Heidi Zimmer-Meyer said the news helps solidify confidence in other projects surrounding Midtown development. "There's $660 million being invested in downtown now without this project, so what this does is it helps not only anchor the block, but also to anchor and strengthen all of the development that's taking place around it, and I have to tell you, this is incredibly good news," said Zimmer-Meyer.


Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks released a statement, saying in part:
"This arrangement is a win-win for our highly-skilled local workforce and for our community... This, and the many other positive economic indicators we have been recognized for in recent months, speaks to the great strides Monroe County is making to put local residents back to work and keep our community moving forward on the path to prosperity."

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Investigations into 'Tourette-like symptoms' continues.


The Le Roy Central School District continues to investigate "Tourette-like symptoms" that were exhibited by a group of students earlier this month. In an updated statement posted on the district's website, superintendent Kim Cox says the district is taking this issue seriously, and is working closely with students, staff, parents, and medical professionals to determine the cause. The statement goes on to say that the safety and well-being of all students and staff is of utmost importance. Cox says the attention brought to the school has led to some confusion and misinformation, and the district hopes to clarify all rumors that have been created.
The statement says:

"Under the direction of medical personnel, we are investigating many possible scenarios. No determinations have been made that there is any connection between the students."
The district asks the community to respect the privacy of all students and their families, as the investigation continues.

Cox says all updates on the issue will be posted to the school's website.

How strange!! I wonder what they will ultimately find out.