First hour: Candidates for Rochester City Council, part 6/Previewing the Rochester Teen Book Festival
Second hour: Discussing bikeability in RochesterWe continue our series of conversations with candidates for Rochester City Council in advance of Primary Day. In our first half hour, we hear from Leticia Astacio. She's one of 16 candidates vying for five at-large seats. We talk with her about her platforms, her priorities, and about issues affecting Rochester. Our guest:
Leticia Astacio
*Note: Willie Lightfoot declined invitations to join these conversations. Patricia Williams-McGahee cancelled her appearance.
Then in our second half hour, we talk with organizers and participants in the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival. The event is in its 14th year. This year's virtual festival is set for Saturday, May 15. Participants will be able to hear from authors of young adult books, attend workshops, and visit virtual publisher booths. We talk with festival representatives about the program and the latest in reading trends among young adults. Our guests:
- Colleen Hernandez, co-director of the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival, and librarian at the Webster Public Library
- Kenya Malcolm, Ph.D., board president of the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival, and YouTube book reviewer
- Ellen Hopkins, author
- Paul Griffin, author
Then in our second hour, could you bike to work? What about to your favorite coffee shop or restaurant? The pandemic has created a "bike boom," and leaders at the Rochester Cycling Alliance want to keep that going. They are kicking off a new messaging campaign called "20 Minutes by Bike." The goal is to help community members use maps to visualize how quickly they can get to nearby destinations by bike. We talk with local bike bloggers about bike transit in Rochester. Our guests:
- Jesse Peers, Cycling Coordinator for Reconnect Rochester, and project coordinator and blogger for examining bikeability in downtown Rochester
- Pam Rogers, blogger on bikeability in Irondequoit
- Jackie Marchand, owner of WomanTours, and blogger on bikeability in Brighton
- Gerald Gacioch, M.D., blogger examining biking to RGH and Unity Hospitals
- Tracey Austin, transportation coordinator at the University of Rochester, and blogger examining bikeability to URMC and the River Campus
