North Coast Journal · Rochester, NY
Two hundred years on, I wonder what Nicéphore Niépce would make of our worldwide love of photography today, with some 60,000 photos taken every second. Niépce is credited with taking the world’s oldest surviving photograph in 1826 (or 1827, historians disagree) from his brother’s upstairs bedroom window in Le Gras, the family estate in eastern France. We know the exposure was at least eight hours long, since sunlight can be seen on opposite walls, and may have lasted several days. It shows buildings and the surrounding countryside. Nicéphore and his older brother Claude had previously invented the Pyréolophore, one of the world’s first internal combustion engines, which was able to power a boat upstream on the Saône river. Their attempts to monetize the invention fell short, with Claude squandering the family fortune in England while trying, unsuccessfully, to obtain backing for the engine before suffering from mental illness.
Rochester Beacon · Rochester, NY
A homeowner who wants to build a small apartment behind a house, a gardener who wants to put up a greenhouse, a landlord who rents rooms to visitors and a developer planning an apartment building all depend on the same thing: the zoning rules that determine what they can do with their property. Rochester is considering a sweeping rewrite of those rules. The proposal would replace the zoning code adopted in 2003 and redraw the map that assigns a zoning district to every parcel in the city. Some properties could gain new options; others would face new restrictions. The effort grew out of Rochester 2034, the comprehensive plan City Council adopted unanimously on Nov. 12, 2019. The city’s Zoning Alignment Project, known as ZAP, released the current draft code, proposed map and final generic environmental impact statement in April. The city Planning Commission voted 6-0 in July to recommend it with changes. Council President Miguel Meléndez has said there will be no vote in November.
CITY · Rochester, NY
Vincenzo Giordano never expected to get into the cheese business. It was basically second nature to love dairy growing up around farmers and cheesemakers in Rionero in Vulture, a historic hilltop town in the Italian region of Basilicata. Yet what started as a fun passion project grew into a beloved community staple. “I’ve always been interested in the variety of cheeses that Europe has, and when I started 27 years ago, I noticed there was a lack of that kind of cheese in this country,” he said. “So, I decided to embark on an adventure.” Giordano European Cheese Shop is a fundamental part of the Rochester Public Market, a small storefront nestled beside well-loved restaurant Fiorella, providing European cheese and specialty products since 1999. A typical Saturday for Vincenzo starts around 5:30 a.m.