now, if it would just snow…
The 194-foot Liberty Pole downtown is lit up with 3,500 lights, and the malls are decked out for the season. But what is there to do, exactly, in Rochester over the holidays? The Historic High Falls District will be High Victorian Dec. 29 and 30, 5 – 9 p.m. with horsedrawn wagon rides, entertainers and a laser and fireworks display over the falls every half hour starting at 7. On New Year’s Eve, get to the Main Street bridge for the city’s impressive annual fireworks display. Grab a kazoo while you’re there and help set a new Guinness World Record for Largest Kazoo Ensemble. Call 428-6697 for details. [Posted 12/7/06]

photo finish
Hometown photo firm Eastman Kodak Co. is betting motorsports fans might become Kodak fans. Ryan Newman’s No. 12 Dodge Charger will sport the Kodak logo at three major races in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Kodak also will sponsor Newman’s car in seven NASCAR Busch Series races next year. And it’ll be an associate sponsor of Penske Racing’s IndyCar Series entries driven by two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr., 2006 Indy 500 winner and three-time IndyCar Series champion. [Posted 12/7/06]

reach out
Looking for a way to meet people? Thinking you should help out a little more? RochesterCares volunteers help sort grocery items for local food pantries, play with kids, plant gardens, build houses and more. To get involved, check out the events calendar at Rochester Young Professionals. [Posted 12/7/06]

feels like the first time
You may be too young to remember Foreigner’s heyday at the top of the pop charts. But you can catch the Rochester band’s lead singer, Lou Gramm, belting out the national anthem at the Rochester RazorSharks’ home opener Nov. 16 at Blue Cross Arena. The RazorSharks are defending ABA champions—they’ll raise their banner to the rafters (Mayor Bob Duffy, a former college ball player, will assist) before taking on the Buffalo Silverbacks at 7:05 p.m.
[Posted 11/7/06]

calling all women
More than half of all voters in New York are women. But for the most part, women aren’t making a mark in local politics: Only about 17 percent of county legislature seats outside of New York City are held by women. A report by the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University of Rochester gives Monroe County an unsatisfactory grade, at 17.2 percent in 2006. That’s unchanged from 2002. The substance and style of political work will change for the better when women have at least 35 percent representation, says the center’s director, Nora Bredes. [Posted 11/7/06]
   
equal rights town
Once the home of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, Rochester has a long history of pushing for equal rights. Now five area companies have been cited for their progressive employee policies. Bausch & Lomb Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Nixon Peabody LLP and Xerox Corp., all in Monroe County, and Corning Inc. in Steuben County won perfect scores from the Human Rights Campaign’s 2006 Corporate Equality Index. Only 136 organizations nationwide scored 100 percent. They were rated on non-discrimination policies and benefits to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees. The city of Rochester and the area’s largest employer, the University of Rochester, offer domestic partner benefits. [Posted 11/7/06]

hot off the presses
The second edition of Real magazine, the guide to life in the Rochester area for college graduates, has arrived. Updated and expanded, the new edition has a wealth of articles and features highlighting job prospects at some of Rochester's leading growth companies. And there's an entire section to the area's night life; its music, theater and visual arts; its sports teams and clubs-and much more. Look for copies of Real on campus, or download the PDF version by clicking on the cover image. [Posted 10/20/06]

rochester earns high grade
The Rochester region has been named a “5-Star Business Opportunity Metro” by Expansion Management magazine’s annual mayor’s challenge competition. According to a Rochester Business Journal story this week, the ranking is based on surveys conducted by the magazine’s research department throughout the year that compare communities based on a variety of characteristics important to site selectors, including a college-educated work force, public education, health care costs and government spending. The 5-Star designation is awarded to the top 20 percent of metro areas. [Posted 9/28/06]

oeno-freaks, take note
Napa Valley has nothing on us. A story in the New York Times, titled "New York Uncorked" sings the praises of the Finger Lakes region: "The Finger Lakes in western New York State has always seemed to me the most exciting and legitimate wine region in the East. ... And yet it remains largely ignored by tourists and oeno-freaks alike." Need any better reason to get away from campus or out of the city on the weekend? [Posted 9/24/06]

knowledge is power
Want to know what you should earn in a job -- whether you're applying or already employed in the position? Check out Payscale.com. It has a free online tool that allows you to compare your job profile to the salary and benefits of people here or in other cities with similar skills and experience. [Posted 9/21/06]