Connections Podcast

It's a second helping of the Summer of Food, and we're going a half hour west of Rochester to a historic old property. In LeRoy, a beautiful building on the edge of the Oatka Creek became one of the first Main Street locations in the 1820s. It was a fixture, but in 2004, a massive fire gutted the building that had served as a factory, a bank office, a private home, and then a restaurant. The burned out shell was a sad reminder of what was lost -- until a team of individuals decided to pour a lot

The tragic and bizarre story of Holly Colino's descent into mental illness has sparked a lot of media attention, but the murder she allegedly committed was not at all typical of someone struggling with such problems. And here is the concern of the local mental health community: Can we dig into Colino's past to understand what led her back to Rochester without mistaking her story as something common or typical? People with mental illness already deal with stigma and misunderstanding. We explore

Mayor Lovely Warren announced Tuesday that the City of Rochester will demolish 175 vacant homes. The issue of zombie properties and what to do about them has been a source of debate in the community. Mayor Warren says vacant homes become harbors for drug users, they aren't safe, and they bring down neighborhood morale and property values. She says it's time to take down those buildings and start fresh. Some local organizations have different ideas about what to do. We talk to stakeholders about

Fashion Week of Rochester kicks off in October, and in one sense, it's a great opportunity to have some fun with creative ideas and fashion in different settings. But there's more to Fashion Week than runways and models. It goes back to 2010 -- the year the event began -- when organizers used it as a vehicle to raise funds and awareness for homeless youth and adults in crisis in Rochester. We talk about services provided by he Center for Youth, including the Crisis Nursery, and we'll preview the

Throughout time, you may go back and watch a movie that you loved as a child, but now, it plays differently to you. There's something that feels uncomfortable; something has changed. If you watch Coming to America , National Lampoon's Vacation , Dumbo , Peter Pan , and many other popular films, you'll find examples of racism, sexism, and homophobia. This hour, we explore how perceptions of art -- particularly of films -- evolve over time. Our guests: Jack Garner, longtime film critic Lester D.

Author Kurt Andersen asks a question about what went wrong in our country in his new book, Fantasyland: How American Went Haywire: A 500-Year History . Andersen thinks something has gone wrong, and he thinks it's embedded in the American DNA. Andersen writes, "Why do we believe in conspiracy theories? Why do so many of us believe in magical thinking or have poor reasoning skills?" He also says, "Why are we like this? The short answer is because we’re Americans—because being American means we can

Weekend Connections is a collection of some of the most noteworthy moments from the week on Connections with Evan Dawson. This episode includes conversations about: How colleges teach students about sexual assault awareness; Racial disparities revealed in a new report about poverty in Rochester; How to have conversations about diversity and inclusion with children; New methane research and how it can impact climate change.

Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church has a prominent place in Rochester's African American and civil rights history -- one that has been celebrated for 190 years. Founded in 1827 by an escaped slave, it was a shelter on the Underground Railroad for hundreds of escaped slaves being led to freedom by Harriet Tubman. It was also the spiritual home of Frederick Douglass, who edited and printed the North Star in its basement. Susan B. Anthony also visited the church, giving her last ever public address to its

There is a movement across may parts of the country to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour -- and not just for fast food workers. Many Democrats are calling for a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour, or at least that amount on the state and local levels. Seattle is a leader in this story; in 2014, it began moving to a $15 minimum wage. Since then, other cities have taken note. This hour, we talk to local business owners on both sides of the debate. In studio: Jonathan Orpin, founder and

We're wrapping up our Summer of Food series with a visit to El Pilón Criollo . It's a family-run business that grew from a vendor stand at the Puerto Rican Festival to a neighborhood hot spot on North Clinton Avenue. We talk to El Pilón Criollo's founder, Zury Brown, about her journey to Rochester from her native Puerto Rico, the ups and downs of opening a restaurant, and the heart and soul of Hispanic food and culture. Our guests: Librada “Zury” Brown, owner of El Pilon Alejandra Brown, Zury’s