Need to Know Rochester

The City of Rochester is launching a new community outreach effort called ROC the Bike!  It's one more step toward obtaining Bicycle Friendly Community status from the League of American Bicyclists according to transportation specialist Eric Frisch.

"We hope to expand that in the future, put that into print media and others, as we move forward with the idea that yea we want to educate drivers as well as cyclists about rules of the road," Frisch said in an interview on WXXI’s Need to Know Rochester. The City is celebrating Bike Week this week.

The city has applied for Bicycle Friendly status before, but never received more than an honorable mention.  Frisch says there is a direct correlation between top bicycle friendly cities and economic development.

WXXI News Director Julie Philipp interviews Jody Siegle of the Monroe County School Boards Association about school budget votes set for Tuesday, May 15.

Click on the video box below to watch the interview that originally aired on Need to Know Rochester on Friday, May 11, 2012.

WXXI News Director Julie Philipp interviews former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson about the financial challenges facing Rochester and other American cities in the face of rising costs and declining tax bases.

Click on the video box below to watch the interview that originally aired on Need to Know Rochester on Friday, May 4, 2012

WXXI's Steve Dawe interviews Karl LaPorta and Cecilia Calloway about the inaugural induction ceremony for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame held Sunday, April 29 at 7:00 p.m. at The Eastman Theatre.

LaPorta is the organizer of the event and Calloway is the daughter of Rochester native and music legend Cab Calloway. Cecilia Calloway spoke on her family's behalf at the ceremony and performed a medley of her father's music.

Among the other inductees are Chuck Mangione, Jeff Tyzik, George Eastman, Gene Cornish, Charles Strouse and more.

You can more information about the event at RochesterMusic.org.

The Rochester City School Board has chosen Bolgen Vargas as new superintendent, removing the “interim” label form his title.

Vargas took over the job as interim superintendent after the departure of Jean-Claude Brizard. Brizard left to lead Chicago Public Schools.

The School Board will formally vote Thursday to begin contract negotiations with Vargas. Board members met in executive session Monday night to discuss the decision.

Vargas and Andre Spencer from Houston’s Public Schools were the two finalists for the job. Both met with the public at a forum last week.

Click on the video box below to watch School Board President Malik Evans and SuperintendenVargas at the news conference from Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

WXXI's Steve Dawe and Elissa Orlando examine issues surrounding advanced care planning and share the story of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield CEO David Klein's public discussion of his family's personal experience.

Klein appeared on WXXI-AM 1370 radio and shared the story of his wife Linde's death from a rare form of cancer.

Click on the video box below to watch the segment that originally aired on WXXI-TV’s Need to Know Rochester Friday, April 20, 2012.

Click here for more information on advanced planning and end of life care at compassionandsupport.org.

Several of the finest photographers in the world are in Rochester for a special project documenting life here.

The House of Pictures photo project features ten photographers from world renowned Magnum Photos fanning out across Rochester to produce a comprehensive photographic survey of the city and its people

The photographers are using the Visual Studies Workshop as their base of operations while in Rochester and will be a part of a discussion at the conclusion of the project at the George Eastman House.

You can already see some of the material they have posted on line.

WXXI's Helene Biandudi reports on the influence of rap and hip hop music among young people in and around Rochester.

The story examines the power the music has to bring people together, but also looks at the potential negative impact when it glorifies violence and demeans women. Our cameras visited the classroom of Dr. Miri Pardo at St. John Fisher College where they study rap & hip hop.

Also, WXXI News Director Julie Philipp leads a discussion about the issue with the Democrat and Chronicle Editorial Board's James Lawrence and Erica Bryant.

Click the video box below to watch the segment that originally aired on WXXI's Need to Know Rochester Friday, April 13, 2012.

On average, apartment-dwellers in the City of Rochester are putting 42% of their incomes toward rent-well above the federal affordable housing standard of 30%.

To help out, the federal government supplies vouchers to low-income residents through a program called Section 8. But Rochester Housing Authority Executive Director Alex Castro says the program isn't keeping up with demand.

"Even though the number of vouchers may increase, there also has to be a similar increase in operation dollars, and what we're seeing is because of the economy and the need for cuts, that's not happening," Castro says.

WXXI News Director Julie Philipp interviews Interim Rochester City School Superintendent Bolgen Vargas and Rochester Teachers' Association President Adam Urbanski about the district's current budget situation in comparison to last year's process.

Click on the video box below to watch the interview which aired on WXXI's Need to Know Rochester on April 6, 2012.