Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 10

DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE BUSINESS SECTION INSIDE RO Looking to buy? RocDeals CNews YOUK HIT DEAL IS iUit A CLICKkAWAT GREECE SCHOOLS RENOVATIONS to writers sg. i ami Buildings need repairs; tax rates won't change CEL project voters approved in December 2007. Specific repairs planned under EXCEL II were not discussed during the meeting. However, a State Environmental Quality Review Act statement that the board also approved Tuesday indicates work would primarily involve heating and ventilation upgrades, roof repairs, masonry fixes, some new doors and windows, See GREECE. Page 6B ing for the vote during a meeting Tuesday.

The project is called EXCEL II by the district after the state's Expanding our Children's Education and Learning program. The program substantially covers the cost of school building expenses for fixes related to student health and safety, accessibility, educational technology and expanding instructional space. The district recently wrapped up a $21.4 million EX MEAGHAN M. MCDERMOTT Staff writer GREECE Voters will weigh in Dec. 6 on a plan to spend $34.5 million on repairs and renovations to buildings in the Greece Central School District.

About $4.9 million of that money will come from an existing district capital reserve fund, while the remainder will be funded with state building aid reimbursements. District officials expect the plan will not affect property tax rates. The district Board of Education approved a resolution ask NEWS BRIEFS City postpones action on project City financing for an apartment project at 101-209 Jefferson Avenue remains on hold, as City Council declined to take up the matter Tuesday night. The administration sought $816,000 in loans for developers Sherman and Sylvia Hardy of Hardy Properties Inc. Unusual terms had money going not just to restart renovations but to help pay back taxes and refinance a mortgage.

The area already has seen significant public investment to stabilize the neighborhood. Council held the matter in committee last week but could have brought it to a vote Tuesday. Too many questions remained about how the deal was assembled and for what amounts, officials said. PEF, Cuomo aceoff continues Public Employees Federation President Ken Brynien postponed a meeting of the state workers' union executive board on Tuesday, saying the union hadn't received a revised contract proposal from the state in time to present it to the 135-member board. Thousands of layoffs are set take effect on Oct.

19, a timeframe the union says may be impossible to manage. Governor's spokesman Josh Vlasto said the layoffs would only be halted if there's a successful PEF vote. PEF members in September decisively rejected a proposed 5-year deal. Highland needs votes for contest With little more than a week left to vote, Highland Hospital finds itself near the top of national standings in a video contest designed to raise awareness of breast cancer. More than 120 U.S.

and Canadian organizations submitted videos. The video in the Pink Glove Dance contest with the most online votes will receive $10,000 to donate to a breast cancer charity. If Highland wins, it plans to donate the money to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. To vote, go to HighlandHospital.org and find the link to the video under Highland Hospital News. Voting ends Oct.

21. EAST ROCHESTER MOVING AGAINST OBESITY Clowns roll in to teach children about fitness GOVERNMENT MONROE COUNTY Adair rejects push for IT probe ii.ii mni ijHJ, ))ll IMI ,.11.11 IIIIMIMH I )AXvviC--fr- HAPPENING TODAY 7U IL-i DAVID ANDREATTA Staff writer The president of the Monroe County Legislature on Tuesday refused to allow legislation to come to the floor that would have created a bipartisan committee to investigate the county's $99 million information technology contract with Upstate Telecommunications Corp. Democrats proposed the measure last week as a matter of urgency, meaning that, if the president allowed it to proceed, it could have been considered by the full Legislature at its monthly meeting on Tuesday without going through committee. It was not clear why the president, Jeffrey Adair, R-Wheatland, rejected the legislation. Attempts by Democratic legislators to question Adair during the meeting were ruled out of order, and the president declined to answer inquiries from a reporter afterward.

Adair said a letter explaining his reasoning would be delivered today to the sponsor of the bill, Paul Haney, D-Rochester. Haney called the developments "absurd." The county's contract with Upstate Telecommunications has been under scrutiny, and seized by Democrats as a campaign season issue, since state Comptroller Thomas DLNa-poli charged in an audit last See COUNTY, Page 4B te 1- 1 Circus clown Mike Richter helps Anna DeHond, left, and Brentley Craven balance spinning plates Tuesday during a fitness presentation at Bird and Morgan School in East Rochester, annette leinstaff photographer IMPUWU lull i TIFFANY LANKES Staff writer For educators at East Rochester's Lois E. Bird and Morgan School, childhood obesity is a serious concern. Of course, that doesn't mean the solution should be dull. The school decided to get students moving with a new program that aims to encourage kids to stay active.

Tuesday, they got a little bit of help from Ring-ling Bros, and Barnum Bailey Circus. Circus clowns came to the school Tuesday afternoon to put on a special "CircusFit" performance for the students. The clowns talked about the impor PROVIDED PHOTO Mambo Kings at The Strong The Mambo Kings will perform at 7:30 p.m. at The Strong, 1 Manhattan Square, as part of the museum's Making American Music series. Admission is $19; $17 for seniors and students.

Call (585) 263-2700 or go to TheStrong.org. Poet Billy Collins at MCC Former poet laureate Billy Collins will read from his latest work and answer questions at 7 p.m. at Monroe Community College Theatre, Building 4, 1000 East Henrietta Road, Brighton. A book signing will follow. Admission is $10.

Call (585) 292-2534 or go to monroecctickets.com. IN ROCBUSINESS tance of staying active and led Xavier Torres, foreground, and other students do jumping jacks led by circus clowns at Bird and Morgan School in East Rochester on See FITNESS, Page 4B Tuesday, annette leinstaff photographer Students learn by helping flooded village P. ft? JIM MEMMOTT Good News i It. ON GOOD NEWS Retired Senior Editor Jim Memmott looks back on recent hopeful news stories and passes along new stories of good deeds and good people. Write, call or email him with your good news.

SHAWN DOWD5TAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Small business, big honor DATROSE in Webster was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for its success at job growth. 5D The waters have receded, much of the world has moved on, but the people of Owego in Tioga County, are still struggling with the devastation left behind last month in the wake of Tropical Storm Lee. Because of this, a busload of students from Livonia High School in Livingston County will once again get up before dawn, ride for two hours and spend this coming Saturday doing whatever needs to be done. It will be the third trip the students have made in less than a month, an extraordinary commitment of time, energy and compassion.

"They go in there and get dirty," says Brian Sheldon, the earth science teacher who has the Livonia students helped with debris cleanup. On the second trip, they did more work inside the homes. "The people down there need all the help they can get," says Rachel Davis, 14, a freshman who will have gone on all three trips. "You see abandoned houses that people don't have the money to repair. Others don't know if they can repair their houses." The days have been long, about 14 hours including the four-hour round-trip from Livonia.

But the students have made friends; they've been showered with thanks, and they've gotten an all-too-real See MEMMOTT, Page 4B eaking news IP on your cellphone organized the trips. "It's not pretty work. The reason we've been going back is because the kids want to go back." On this trip, the Livonia students will also be joined by students from the State University College at Geneseo, the college students having jumped at the chance to help. Lee drenched Owego, a Southern Tier village on the banks of the Susquehanna River, 23 miles west of Bing-hamton, on Sept 8 and 9. Text R0CNEWS to 44636 NEWS TIPS Call (585) 258-2252 or (800) 767-7539 from outside Monroe County.

The Susquehanna, still high from Tropical Storm Irene's deluge, couldn't absorb the water from Owego Creek as it flowed through the village. The creek overflowed its banks and swept through much of the village, damaging 75 percent of the village's 1,600 homes. On the first trip to Owego, mm If I 35' I.