The annual "Polar Plunge" fundraiser for the Special Olympics took place today at Charlotte Beach. There were over 1500 plungers including an 83 year old former Rochester City Police Officer, and an equal number of spectators and volunteers.
The event raised around $250,000 for the Special Olympics. The event is the brainchild of Sal Gerbino, a former Gates Police Sergent and long time supporter of the Special Olympics. Sal started 12 years ago with 48 plungers raising about $1,000. Today the event has grown to enormous proportions and the participants came from all across the area and from all walks of life.
One thing was true this year, the "polar" was really evident. The wind was whipping, snow falling and lake Ontario had whitecaps and breakers. The cold temperatures did not dampen the enthusiasm. The participants had fun and did a good deed for a great cause.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Gates' Boom Continues
Despite the economic doldrums across the State and the region, the Town of Gates continues to be a hub of economic development.
Today's Democrat and Chronicle reported on the expansion of Closing, USA, a real estate and title company which is moving into the Rochester Tech Park and adding about 100 new jobs. This comes on the heels of expansion of the Sutherland Group (400 jobs), the Quaker Steak opening (100 jobs) and the expansion of Precise Tool on Cherry Road.
The Tech Park is now over half full (and remember, we are talking about a huge facility; it was built to hold 26,000 employees). There have also been a number of upgrades of many properties in the town, such as the Wegman's office building on Chili Avenue and storefronts in the Gates Plaza and Tops Plaza.
Future developments include the opening of Jeremiah's restaurant and the possible construction of a Fast Track gas station/convenience store. There have been preliminary discussions regarding hotels and residential developments, too. Finally, an unconfirmed rumor has it that the Seneca Nation has the Tech Park on its short list for possible casino sites.
Gates has always been the geographic center of Monroe County. Now it is becoming the economic center, as well.
UPDATE 2/10/12:
I spoke with Supervisor Assini this morning and he informed me that Gates' businesses have added a net of 1600 jobs in the past 14 months. And unlike the jobs allegedly created by the Obama Administration, you can actually find these 1600 workers in the Town of Gates.
Today's Democrat and Chronicle reported on the expansion of Closing, USA, a real estate and title company which is moving into the Rochester Tech Park and adding about 100 new jobs. This comes on the heels of expansion of the Sutherland Group (400 jobs), the Quaker Steak opening (100 jobs) and the expansion of Precise Tool on Cherry Road.
The Tech Park is now over half full (and remember, we are talking about a huge facility; it was built to hold 26,000 employees). There have also been a number of upgrades of many properties in the town, such as the Wegman's office building on Chili Avenue and storefronts in the Gates Plaza and Tops Plaza.
Future developments include the opening of Jeremiah's restaurant and the possible construction of a Fast Track gas station/convenience store. There have been preliminary discussions regarding hotels and residential developments, too. Finally, an unconfirmed rumor has it that the Seneca Nation has the Tech Park on its short list for possible casino sites.
Gates has always been the geographic center of Monroe County. Now it is becoming the economic center, as well.
UPDATE 2/10/12:
I spoke with Supervisor Assini this morning and he informed me that Gates' businesses have added a net of 1600 jobs in the past 14 months. And unlike the jobs allegedly created by the Obama Administration, you can actually find these 1600 workers in the Town of Gates.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
No "Obama Moment" For Kodak
The Kodak bankruptcy has understandably been big news in Rochester, but given Kodak's iconic status, it has also made news across the country.
This is a sardonic take by Henry Payne in the National Review Online about the way the Obama administration operates, using the Kodak B/K as its basis. To be fair, Kodak would not have been a business which really justified a bail-out, but Payne is correct on the point that since Kodak is a non-union shop, the idea would never have come up in the current administration.
This is a sardonic take by Henry Payne in the National Review Online about the way the Obama administration operates, using the Kodak B/K as its basis. To be fair, Kodak would not have been a business which really justified a bail-out, but Payne is correct on the point that since Kodak is a non-union shop, the idea would never have come up in the current administration.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Pressure By Any Other Name
Today's Democrat & Chronicle indicated that "pressure" was being applied on the MCC Board of Trustee's to decide on a location for their downtown campus.
I thought they already decided.
The "pressure" the D&C was describing was the building owner's threat that if a new lease isn't signed at the Sibley Building, MCC may be out. Obviously, MCC needs a location until the Kodak site is ready (which would not be for 2 years).
Pressure? Sounds like extortion.
I thought they already decided.
The "pressure" the D&C was describing was the building owner's threat that if a new lease isn't signed at the Sibley Building, MCC may be out. Obviously, MCC needs a location until the Kodak site is ready (which would not be for 2 years).
Pressure? Sounds like extortion.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Is Santorum For Real?
After scoring a dead heat with Mitt Romney in Iowa, Rick Santorum is the latest "non-Mitt" candidate to catch fire. Will he last? Charles Krauthammer seems to think so.
Krauthammer, writing in the National Review Online, called Santorum "an admirably worthy conservative alternative" to Mitt Romney. Many have derided Santorum because of his very sharp social conservative views. But I wonder if Krauthammer is on to something with his view that conservative "Reagan Democrats" may be looking for someone who does hold to some old-fashioned bedrock social viewpoints. Those voters have seen "Occupy Wall Street" and they are not impressed.
Several years ago, I sent Santorum a few bucks as he tried unsuccessfully to hold his PA Senate seat. I hadn't thought much about his chances as a GOP Presidential nominee. A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a link to a website where you answer questions and it tells you which candidate you most agree with. I expected it to say Newt Gingrich, but I was surprised to learn it was Santorum. I would not have thought so, because I don't consider myself a strident social conservative. But after looking at some of his other views, I realized that I did support quite a bit of his "platform"
It remains to be seen if Santorum is a contender or a pretender. But I think Krauthammer may be correct in his assessment that Santorum is "the first challenger {to Romney} to be plausibly presidential: knowledgeable, articulate, experienced, of stable character and authentic ideology". Time will tell.
Krauthammer, writing in the National Review Online, called Santorum "an admirably worthy conservative alternative" to Mitt Romney. Many have derided Santorum because of his very sharp social conservative views. But I wonder if Krauthammer is on to something with his view that conservative "Reagan Democrats" may be looking for someone who does hold to some old-fashioned bedrock social viewpoints. Those voters have seen "Occupy Wall Street" and they are not impressed.
Several years ago, I sent Santorum a few bucks as he tried unsuccessfully to hold his PA Senate seat. I hadn't thought much about his chances as a GOP Presidential nominee. A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a link to a website where you answer questions and it tells you which candidate you most agree with. I expected it to say Newt Gingrich, but I was surprised to learn it was Santorum. I would not have thought so, because I don't consider myself a strident social conservative. But after looking at some of his other views, I realized that I did support quite a bit of his "platform"
It remains to be seen if Santorum is a contender or a pretender. But I think Krauthammer may be correct in his assessment that Santorum is "the first challenger {to Romney} to be plausibly presidential: knowledgeable, articulate, experienced, of stable character and authentic ideology". Time will tell.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Assault on Gingrich Shows GOP Establishment Wants Romney
In the last few weeks, Newt Gringrich rose rapidly in polls of Republicans regarding the GOP Presidential nomination.
Right on cue, the attacks from the usual suspects in the liberal media began. They went after Gingrich the way they had with each GOP contender who rose to the top.
But with Newt, there was another phenomenon. He was also attacked savagely from the GOP itself. The National Review, George Will, the Wall Street Journal, and Glenn Beck all opined about why Newt would be a bad choice. Even Rush Limbaugh warned listeners that they should not make a choice because they want a candidate who is articulate and will do well in debates.
I guess this all stems from the belief among mainstream Republicans that Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating Obama. And, as we all know, nothing is more important than beating Obama.
Well, I'm not so sure.
I want to see the President turned out of office as much as anyone on the right. He has been a disaster and four more years of Obama would be ruinous for the country. But would we really be better off with Mitt Romney as President? In some ways, the obvious answer is yes. Surely, a President Romney would take steps to cut government spending, slow the growth of government and restore many of the tenets of Capitalism.
So why don't I trust him? Why do I feel that he is a George H.W. Bush clone; a guy who will say "read my lips" but when push comes to shove, will cave in to "moderation"?
I think that Romney is just one more "go along, get along" Republican who will try to find "common ground" with the Democrats. In doing so, he may slow the runaway train that is our government, but he won't stop it. I fear that the politicians and pundits in Washington still don't get it. We are at the end of the line. The cliff is looming and we can't just slow down the train; we have to turn it around.
If that is the kind of President the GOP elects, the GOP may be finished, because the Tea Party will abandon the Republicans and start to nominate their own candidates. Romney could be the guy who turns the GOP into the 21st century version of the Whigs.
Right on cue, the attacks from the usual suspects in the liberal media began. They went after Gingrich the way they had with each GOP contender who rose to the top.
But with Newt, there was another phenomenon. He was also attacked savagely from the GOP itself. The National Review, George Will, the Wall Street Journal, and Glenn Beck all opined about why Newt would be a bad choice. Even Rush Limbaugh warned listeners that they should not make a choice because they want a candidate who is articulate and will do well in debates.
I guess this all stems from the belief among mainstream Republicans that Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating Obama. And, as we all know, nothing is more important than beating Obama.
Well, I'm not so sure.
I want to see the President turned out of office as much as anyone on the right. He has been a disaster and four more years of Obama would be ruinous for the country. But would we really be better off with Mitt Romney as President? In some ways, the obvious answer is yes. Surely, a President Romney would take steps to cut government spending, slow the growth of government and restore many of the tenets of Capitalism.
So why don't I trust him? Why do I feel that he is a George H.W. Bush clone; a guy who will say "read my lips" but when push comes to shove, will cave in to "moderation"?
I think that Romney is just one more "go along, get along" Republican who will try to find "common ground" with the Democrats. In doing so, he may slow the runaway train that is our government, but he won't stop it. I fear that the politicians and pundits in Washington still don't get it. We are at the end of the line. The cliff is looming and we can't just slow down the train; we have to turn it around.
If that is the kind of President the GOP elects, the GOP may be finished, because the Tea Party will abandon the Republicans and start to nominate their own candidates. Romney could be the guy who turns the GOP into the 21st century version of the Whigs.
Democrat and Chronicle Continues to Sink
The reporting on the reasons behind Mike Green losing his Federal Judgeship display the D&C at its worst. They have made no effort to find out what really happened, but instead allow the implication to hang that local Republicans somehow caused it. They know better, but it serves their partisan purposes to protect Green from harm if the real story gets out.
Rumors abound regarding why the nomination was scuttled. It was not, as I initially thought, due to Republican Senators trying to tweak Chuck Schumer. Instead it appears that questions regarding green's personal conduct and ethics may have been raised. Certainly, if it was just normal D.C. politics, President Obama would be re-submitting the nomination. But Green's name will not be re-submitted.
In a city with a real newspaper, that would be a story that reporters would want to investigate. But not in Rochester, with our party organ paper.
Rumors abound regarding why the nomination was scuttled. It was not, as I initially thought, due to Republican Senators trying to tweak Chuck Schumer. Instead it appears that questions regarding green's personal conduct and ethics may have been raised. Certainly, if it was just normal D.C. politics, President Obama would be re-submitting the nomination. But Green's name will not be re-submitted.
In a city with a real newspaper, that would be a story that reporters would want to investigate. But not in Rochester, with our party organ paper.
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