05/23/13: So, it seems that good ol' boy Mike Mazzeo, Police Union President, is running his mouth again--this time in regards to Emily Good running for Sheriff of Monroe County (for shame, YNN: http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2013/05/rochester-activist-wants-to-be-sheriff/). Therefore, we decided to run our history of Mazzeo!
2011-07-31 19:26:05 -0400: Police union president Mike Mazzeo is no stranger to police corruption, the violation of citizens' civil rights, or media attention. Back in the late 80s and early 90s Mazzeo was a vice squad officer with the Highway Interdiction Team—a squad used to rough up and bust up alleged low-level drug dealers. For all his trouble, he and five other officers—including the police chief—were federally indicted on 19 counts alleging police brutality, conspiracy to violate the civil rights of suspects, embezzlement, falsification of government documents, falsification of employee time cards and other corruption. While he and his four colleagues were acquitted, officer after officer—in both high and low places in the RPD—admitted to the same abuse of power that Mazzeo was charged with. In today's world, when one sees our bold police union president rattling off his rendition of events and forcefully grasping his podium at the Locust Club, it just makes good sense to hear everything he says "with a grain of salt."
Submitted by RochesterAccent.com on Wed, 2013-05-22 09:34
editor's note: Rochester Indymedia does not endorse political candidates. We wanted to share Emily's critical look at police and her plans for sheriff. This is a great, in-depth interview with the Sheriff for Good conducted by Rochester Accent--a new blog in town. Check them out at RochesterAccent.com.
Emily Good announced her candidacy for Monroe County Sheriff on Monday. The release also invited media to a press conference to be held this morning at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Monroe County Jail on S. Plymouth Ave.
Good’s unlawful arrest for recording an on-duty Rochester police officer in 2011 hit international news and became part of a heated debate about the civic right and responsibility to police the police. We spoke with the activist to learn more about her platform and goals as the Green Party candidate for Sheriff.
On April 13, 2013, the Labor Lyceum hosted a panel and discussion called “Building Worker Power Through Community Organizing.” The panel and discussion met at NYSUT Hall, 30 North Union Street in Rochester, NY.
As workers across the nation are struggling with the consequences of job flight, downsizing, discrimination, rampant unemployment, and other labor troubles, a different way of organizing outside of the traditional union model is emerging.
Submitted by Chris Clemens and Luke Myer @ ExploringTheBurnedOverDistrict.wordpress.com (photos: Exploring the Burned Over District) on Thu, 2013-05-16 20:47
Bristol Hill Congregational United Church of Christ – Volney, NY
Bristol Hill Congregational United Church of Christ
Chris and I get all sorts of excited when we learn of a new place to see or possibly a free tour of some giant ball of yarn. We consider it a win win if we learn of a free church tour because then we just look to see what else there is to see around the church and go and make a day of it. Believe it or not, we do learn of free church tours every so often, but it is a rare gift when an entire county opens its doors for free tours. This is exactly what happened a few weeks ago in Oswego County, but let me explain a bit. Not every single place in the county was open for a free tour; instead a list of designated places was available for tours and was spread across several small towns within the county. Chris had called a representative from Oswego County and had the list mailed to us several weeks in advance and we narrowed down our list of things to see to make it more manageable. The one site that stood out more than any other was the Bristol Hill Congregational United Church of Christ (hereby referred to as Bristol Hill Church for short), located in the small Town of Volney, NY.
I haven’t been able to find anyone who knows exactly when this mural was painted, but it’s been a fixture in Manhattan Square Park for at least 30 years, says Charles Moreland, Executive Director of Rochester Parkour . The outdoor venue has been mostly abandoned for the past 10 years, but its concrete walls and irregular geometry make it ideal for practicing the fine art of Parkour. Charles’ group can often be found moving throughout the park. Yesterday Charles noticed the mural had been covered with a fresh coat of gray paint…
Submitted by Rochester Indymedia on Wed, 2013-05-15 21:08
Below are some key points stated in the policies and procedures, of the Rochester Police Department, for people with disabilities. In this case, we've highlighted the issues specifically dealing with people with mobility impairments.
On May 14, 2013, Benny Warr entered Judge Stephen Miller's courtroom flanked by his lawyer, Charles F. Burkwit, his wife, Nina (pronounced nine-ah), and other family members and supporters. The proceedings got underway promptly at 9:30am with Warr's arraignment first on the docket.
When Judge Miller asked Warr to enter a plea, Warr, in his baritone voice, said, “Not guilty.”
Submitted by T. Forsyth (w/video from Dawn Revette) on Fri, 2013-05-10 12:09
On April 27, 2013, Kathy Kelly, Noor Mir, Sarah A.K. Ahmed, Rooj Alwazir, Fidaa Abuassi, and Mohammed Abbas presented a workshop titled "The Human Face of War" at the Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire convergence in Syracuse, NY.
Part 1 is video of each panelist describing their particular experience.
Watch Now!
Part 2 is the discussion that occurred but in audio format rather than video.
Submitted by SusanGalloway on Thu, 2013-05-09 18:48
On April 27, 2013, Bruce Gagnon presented a workshop titled "A Policy of Full Spectrum Dominance"at the Resisting Drones, Global War and Empire Convergence in Syracuse, NY.
May Day or International Worker's Day comes to Rochester May 1 2013. Marchers met at Washington Square Park and marched up East Ave to the Workers United headquarters. Speakers from various labor and civic groups spoke at both locations.
Submitted by T. Forsyth, video: Shakur Muhammed on YouTube.com on Wed, 2013-05-08 22:13
On May 1st, 2013, Benny Warr was waiting for the bus in his wheelchair at the intersection of Bartlett St. and Jefferson Ave., near his home. As he was waiting for the bus, a Rochester police cruiser rolled up to the intersection. The officers exited the car and according to Warr, asked him what he was doing.
"I told them I was just waiting for the bus. I was being polite," he said to me in a brief phone interview today.
The next thing Warr knew, he had a face full of mace and three officers punching and wrestling him out of his wheelchair where he was further kicked and beat while on the ground. A savvy citizen, who goes by the handle Shakur Muhammed on YouTube, started recording the incident with her phone just before Warr was violently forced from his chair.
Submitted by Take Back The Land on Wed, 2013-05-08 21:03
EVENT: Saturday, May 11 at 12pm, "Clean Up - Cook Out" event for Vee Henry in response to ATF foreclosure battle
Location: 395 Maple St, Rochester
A year ago Virginia "Vee" Henry promised her dying brother Buddy that she would carry on his dream of creating a homeless shelter and youth outreach program in his two story building at 395 Maple Street in Rochester. Since then, a perfect storm of city cost-saving measures, privately executed tax liabilities, and the possible machinations of a mysterious but well-connected real-estate investor challenged that dream. But Vee Henry's dedication has not wavered. This Saturday, May 11 at 12pm, Henry will be hosting a volunteer "Clean Up - Cook Out" event at her beleaguered building at 395 Maple St, Rochester, where volunteers will be repairing some of damage done to her property by vandals during her year long foreclosure battle, and Vee will be available for questions about her case.
The NY Women’s Equality Agenda is a policy initiative that NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo announced early in 2013. NY Women’s Equality just unveiled this new video. I invite you to watch the video, read my response below, and share your own response.
Submitted by Green Rochester on Tue, 2013-05-07 09:11
Monday night, Mayor Tom Richards gave an exciting presentation about the State of the City. We, the candidates of Green Rochester, feel that the Mayor presented an excessively positive vision for a City that is struggling with some very serious issues. The speech was light on specifics and had virtually no mention of the underlying root cause of so many of Rochesters problems: poverty. Last weekend, Green Rochester candidates spent time at the Carl Street Urban Farm Project, on the city's northeast side. The residents of that neighborhood did not paint the same rosy picture.
We recognize that Rochester is a city beset by many systemic problems, including poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and a school system struggling to serve its most basic functions. According to Green Rochester candidate for Mayor, Alex White, "Investing $1.7 billion over 3 years in various development projects has not solved any of these problems. Poverty, homelessness, and infant mortality are all higher, while our graduation rate is lower."
City Council Candidate, David Atias added, "Everyone understands what the problems are. But the people currently running the show seem to think that the solutions need to come from outside our own community. We have the resources to do what needs to be done, but we keep giving them away to people who don't live here."
![Kristen Cavanaugh]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/manhattan-square-park-mural.jpg)
