June/July 2015 Vol. 37 No. 3 The Official Newspaper of the South Wedge Since 1982 Philip Szal is bringing his 15-ft. green limo tours to Rochester in July Health Care in the ‘Hood - St. Joe’s Neighbor- PubCrawler Pedal Tours hood Center Treating Uninsured Since 1993 Coming to the South Wedge in July Anna McKenna Nancy O’Donnell viduals may become the Center’s patients. Philip Szal thinks the South take riders on a leisurely two-hour Today, more than 200 volunteer Wedge is ideal for his pedal-push- progressive dinner ride, from ap- physicians, counselors, specialists, ing PubCrawler. Now Buffalo- petizers to desserts, at area res- a small paid staff, and master’s-lev- based, the Pubcrawler king had taurants. Szal offers architectural el students in training from all local plans to bring his green pedal limo tours, bachelorette parties and pri- colleges are on board, serving pa- to the East End until SWPC Com- vate tours. tients. Everyone who comes to the munity Engagement Specialist On his website, he details some Center is helped—enrolled in the Jesse Knoth South Wedge walking of the interesting requests he gets: right plan and referred elsewhere, Pub Crawl. “My favorite story has to do with or quickly treated by our staff and Knoth walked him from Swift- the woman who wanted to rent the volunteers. water Brewery to Orbs to Buda pub crawler and invite 14 dates on, It’s hard to believe we’ve been Pub to Banzai Sushi with peeks then eliminate them until she was open now for 22 years,” said Chris- into Little Blu Cheese Shop and left with one rider (suitor).The plan tine Wagner, SSJ, Executive Direc- Hedonist Chocolates, and Szal was didn’t come to fruition because you St. Joseph’s Neighborhood Center has been a lifesaver for countless tor and co-founder of the Neigh- sold on bringing his Pedal Tours need a minimum of eight people to the South Wedge. It also helped pedaling to complete a tour, but I “Patient service is excellent; I It is open five days and three eve- borhood Center. “But, we find that that the businesses responded posi- salute her for the ingenuity and am blessed to be here,” said Sharyl nings per week, to accommodate the need for affordable health care tively and called him back with willingness to rent the pub crawl- Smith, a new patient of the Neigh- the health care needs of working has continued to grow, and so the prices and details to help make it er to make her game show-like borhood Center. “I feel I am treat- people. Services offered are many: Neighborhood Center has grown. happen, Szal said. ed with respect and 101% taken Primary Health: Physical examina- Our building has tripled in size and continued on pg. 16 Szal’s Buffalo pedal tours also care of.” tions, specialist consultations, lab we now serve people from Roches- Sharyl, who recently moved work, vision and hearing screen- ter and eight surrounding counties. to Rochester from Jamaica, was ings, diabetic and nutrition edu- “As long as there is need for our referred to the Center through her cation, work physicals, smoking services we’ll be here,” said Chris- friend, Rose. Rose, a long time pa- cessation counseling, massage, tine. “We feel everyone should tient of the Center, added, “Thank physical therapy and chiroprac- have the right to receive good you for all of the services you offer. tic services; women’s health (pap health care.” I have used almost all of them.” smear and breast examinations) The Neighborhood Center is The Neighborhood Center cancer screenings and mammo- completely funded by grants, do- opened its doors in 1993 to serve gram referrals. It also offers mental nations, and minimal client fees. people like Rose and Sharyl, who health care: individual, family and To learn ways of supporting the need health care, but cannot eas- couples’ counseling, a women’s Neighborhood Center with supplies ily afford an insurance plan or the self-esteem group and psychiatry. from the Wish List, contact www. Jav Morales writes on Facebook “Finally got hooked up for Greenlight... costs of health care visits else- Dental Care includes preventative sjncenter.org. Check out the test speeds--can you guess who’s TWC and who’s Greenlight where. It is committed to providing oral health and restorative care. If you are uninsured or under- Networks? quality care and comprehensive A Health Care Access program insured and in need of health care, services which enhance the well- helps individuals explore their op- call the Neighborhood Center at being of individuals, families and tions for Medicaid or other health (585) 325-5260 or visit 417 South Greenlight Network Becomes the community. This commitment care insurance. If no viable insur- Avenue. is especially extended to those peo- ance option is found, these indi- New Neighborhood Rock Star ple who are uninsured and underin- Nancy O’Donnell sured. The Center is primarily a vol- Greenlight Networks, an East more people want it, the faster they unteer agency, providing care to Rochester-based company that pro- get it.. more than 1500 people each year. vides fast bandwidth at a low cost, Weiderhold said that Greenlight has local neighborhood e-mail lists recently added parts of Mt. Hope/ buzzing. Those who have it, post Highland, the South Wedge and love notes about it while others not South Clinton Avenue. Lower High- yet Greenlighted want to know” land Park Avenue (aka “Highland when will it be coming to our street?” Park Bottoms” to residents on Ben- Greenlight Networks, founded in ton and Caroline down to Cayuga 2011 by Mark Murphy, responded St.) is close to joining the Greenlight to customer demand by providing world. faster bandwith at prices that delight In 2013, writer Jeremy Moule with a beginning price of $50. On St. in a City Paper article explains that Patrick’s Day this year, Murphy an- Internet speed is becoming more nounced that the price of a gigabyte important to consumers: “No longer was going down from $250 to $100. do households simply have a single The company first installed fi- computer hardwired to a high-speed ber optic connections in the Village modem. People are streaming high- of Pittsford. They added the South quality digital video to large televi- SOUTH WEDGE Wedge’s Erie Harbor and Upper sions; for several years, streaming Monroe and they continue to grow. digital video from services like Netf- According to Marketing Coordinator lix or Hulu has been the largest driver FARMERS Casey Wiederhold, the company can of growing household data consump- install fiber optic cable to homes in tion…online video gaming is also response to customer demand. The driving a lot of the data consumption MARKET continued on pg. 16 THURSDAYS 4-7PM What’s inside New SWPC board chair Remember Garden JUNE - OCTOBER Life Together Pet Profiles Diabetes Health Source 1048 Lounge 151 MT. HOPE AVENUE Good Food Collective Star Tracks Pride Week 2015 The Cub Room NEAR ALEXANDER STREET Live at Mission Hall And much more... A PROJECT OF SOUTH WEDGE PLANNING COMMITTEE swfm.org EBT AND FMNP WELCOME design: www.liliandben.com South Wedge Planning Committee Planning South Wedge Avenue 224 Mt. Hope 14620 Rochester, New York 2 June/July 2015 - The Wedge SEAC & SWPC News Local Businesses - Love ‘em or Lose ‘em The South East Area Coalition is Alive & Well Nancy O’Donnell, Wedge Editor We are looking for new Board members and want to Officers Nathaniel Mich, Chair know, are you interested? SEAC serves Rochester’s southeast Donna Roethel Lenhard, Vice Chair quadrant. Our main purpose is to participate in the City’s Anthony Sciarabba, Treasurer We all love buzz the South the community they claim to love Owner-Occupant Rehabilitation Program. Through this Mark Greisberger, Co-Treasurer Wedge gets in the press and on the to shop elsewhere. Amanda Conner, Secretary street. The neighborhood is per- BASWA (The Businesses As- program, SEAC works with income-qualified home owners to address major repair needs. We find financial assistance to help Board Members ceived as the most vibrant, cool- sociation of the South Wedge Area) Phillip Borrelli, Stakeholder est neighborhood in the city today. been tireless in promoting local, pay for the repairs, and we act as project managers to ensure Dave Halter, Business New restaurants. Free music con- small businesses. Almost all of that the repairs are completed properly. We also sponsor and Frank Logan, Neighbor certs on Thursday nights in Star the events that get people into the Christine O’Connor, Stakeholder support programs and events such as City Love, Clean Sweep, Rebecca Webb, Neighbor Alley, Live at the Mission Music South Wedge right now were initi- Day of Caring and the Street Manager Programs on South Series, the blues musicians at The ated by BASWA. Their work is the Clinton and Monroe Avenues. We do all of this and much more Honorary Board Members Beele. Zak’s gift shop, Abode, envy of other neighborhood busi- Mitchell Dannenberg, John Dennis, Thread Boutique, Little Bleu ness associations in the city. with the goal of sustaining and improving the quality of our Joe DiDonato, Cheryl Stevens neighborhoods. Please join us in our efforts! If you would Cheese Shop. Add to that events Recently some businesses have Staff like the NeedleDrop Record Expo, looked to a national organization, like to be considered for a Board position, please contact Executive Director John Page Real Beer Festival, the Harvest AMIBA, American Independent [email protected]. Assistant Director Eilleen Thomas Hootenanny, Night of the Living Business Alliance, for additional Jennifer Baldwin, Jesse Knoth, Wedge and Thanksgiving Day’s help (visit online at amiba.net).