Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 4

DemocratandChronicle.com DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE 4 A WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009 175th Students take birthday march Schools mark city's 175th with fun and fervor in the rain. mm 1 Mayor Robert Duffy speaks Tuesday at a graveside ceremony honoring city forefather Nathaniel Rochester at Mt. Hope Cemetery. to the 175th anniversary. Students some wearing birthday hats and blowing happily through noise-makers walked the circumference of the school led by teachers holding umbrellas.

The orange banner was decorated with student handprints and contained the phrase "The hands of the future." The anniversary "is really important to all of us," said first-grader Raven Drummond, 6, who held a section of the banner at the front of the parade. A resident portraying suffragist Susan B. Anthony also joined in on the fun. Wearing a long black silk dress with matching gloves and cap, Barbara Blaisdell of Brighton has appeared as Anthony for more than 19 years on behalf of the Susan B. Anthony House.

Her busy day also included appearances at City Hall and a ceremony at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Younger generations may not fully understand the city's history and the significant events and people who helped shape Rochester, but the parade and other activities hosted by city schools leave a pos FROM PAGE 1A Mingling in the crowd were four of Rochester's most famous residents, played by actors: Tim Cawley of Rochester as Nathaniel Rochester; Raymond Enright of Rochester as George Eastman; David Anderson of Rochester as Frederick Douglass; and Barbara Blaisdell of Brighton as Susan B. Anthony. "I'm pleased that Rochester has survived as a city and has so much to offer all people, not just white male citizens," said Blaisdell, speaking as Rochester's famous suf fragist.

She said she was "thrilled to see in recent years" that Rochester had an African-American mayor former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. and on Monday a woman, Anne M. Kress, was named the new president of Monroe Community College. Rochester's 175th is an opportunity to reflect on the historic figures who shaped the community and recall the city's many transformations, Duffy said.

"It's a great time to celebrate the challenges and successes of our past and build for our future. I don't think enough of our citizens fully appreciate the history of Rochester," Duffy said at the City Hall birthday celebration. Rochester at first was known as the Flour City because of the abundance of mills here. By the mid-1800s, Rochester's nursery industry boomed and the city's nickname changed to the Flower City. Rochester later be- i1 A a NICOLE LEE STAFF WRITER Rochester students participated in classroom discussions about the city's founders, wrote essays and performed skits Tuesday to mark the 175th anniversary of the city.

Members of the Frederick Douglass Club, a group founded at School 12 just two years ago, gave a special presentation at City Hall honoring Douglass, an abolitionist, publisher of the North Star newspaper and one of Rochester's most famous residents. During the presentation, sixth-grader Darius Clinton recited "What the Black Man Wants," a speech Douglass gave in 1865 during a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Back at School 12, students sang "Happy Birthday" over the public announcement system and munched on lilac-shaped cookies decorated in the school colors of purple and blue. The treats were designed by Genesee Bakery. School 12 has been buzzing for weeks about the anniversary, said principal Michele Liguori-Alampi.

"(The club members) had a great time" at City Hall, she said. Unfazed by the rain, more than 150 students at School 23 marched outside around the school Tuesday afternoon holding a banner and posters paying tribute Greece FROM PAGE 1A week by Town Supervisor John Auberger to probe the department's handling of a June hit-and-run crash involving former police Sgt. Nicholas Joseph and more recent allegations against Officer Gary Pignato. Pig-nato is accused of coercing a woman into sex. Loszyn-ski started his temporary term Monday by requesting reams of documentation and records about the cases.

He will need at least two weeks to review those documents and chart his investigative course. A concurrent investigation into the Joseph matter is being conducted by the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, which served the town with a subpoena for records related to that case days be Drexel FROM PAGE 1A although she didn't know Drexel well, it was surreal to return home Monday without her. i "i JAMIE GERMANO staff photographer If you go Rochester has planned more anniversary events: The 175th Anniversary Gala is set for June 27 at the pavilion at Main and Gibbs streets, across from the Eastman Theatre. Tickets are $175. The city of Rochester's 175th Coming Home celebration is scheduled for Sept.

25 through Oct. 11 at locations throughout Rochester and Monroe County. Coming Home will include festivals, performances, music, lectures, and educational programs. For more information, call 311 or visit cityofrochester.gov. DEM0CRATANDCHR0NICLE.COM Click on this story for video coverage of Rochester's birthday.

very hard to live good and honest lives and to lead people." BLOUDONfiiDemocratandChronicle.com DEM0CRATANDCHR0NICLE.COM Click on this article to view video of Tuesday's news conference. about Rahn, Mackin and Ball being suspended with pay. He said that under state law the men could not be suspended without pay unless charged with a crime. Stripping them of pay without charges would open the town up to possible lawsuits. "I share the community's frustration," he said.

Loszynski said he hoped to help rebuild Greece's "shattered" trust in the Police Department. "When it comes to policing, first and foremost, if you don't have the confidence of the public, you might as well turn in your badge and disband the department," he said. MCDERMOTDemocratandChronicle.com ing her friend's picture in the local and national news with no information on her whereabouts. The news continued to spread as mutual friends from Fairport, Brockport, Gates Chili, Greece Athena and other area high schools started text-ing each other trying to find out more details and offering to help the family. "This just hits you so hard because we are near the same age, and it just floors you that something like this could happen," said Albano, 18, a senior at Webster Schroeder High School.

"A few kids were talking about this in school and people know this is something serious. This is a warning sign for teens everywhere that they have to watch themselves because things like this can occur anywhere." Alicia Grieco's daughter Gabriella, 16, has gotten to know Drexel better in recent months and was also emotional. "I love her so much and I need her to come home," said the Greece Athena junior. "When I heard she was missing, it affected me so much. I don't want anything bad to happen to ELAMOTHElgiDemocratandChronicle.com i a- Wegmans also donated 34 smaller sheet cakes that were donated to after-school programs in Rochester where they would be served to children.

Tuesday afternoon, Duffy placed a wreath at the grave of Nathaniel Rochester in Mt. Hope Cemetery as the Rochester Police Department color guard stood by. The brief ceremony in the rain was attended by about a dozen members of the Friends of Mt. Hope Cemetery and three descendants of Nathaniel Rochester. Rochester was the great-great-great grandfather of Peter Dellinger of Brighton and Thomas Hanford of Pittsford, on their mothers' side of the family.

Rochester was the great-great-great grandfather of Adele Shepard of Penfield. "I'm very proud of him and his integrity," Shepard said. "I believe they worked "When it comes to policing, first and foremost, if you don't have the confidence of the public, you might as well turn in your badge and disband the department." JOSEPH LOSZYNSKI, Greece public safety director investigate the department. "My goal and my pledge are to take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone who has not followed the rules of our Police Department," he said. Auberger said he'd received numerous complaints and questions "I'm doing everything I can from here," he said, adding that he made "missing person" fliers to distribute locally since most of his daughter's friends have come home.

Chad Drexel said he didn't know his daughter was out of town until he learned she was missing Saturday night. Dawn Drexel said she thought her daughter was staying at a friend's house, since "she played it off like she was in Rochester." Drexel had asked whether she could go on the trip and was told no by both parents. Her parents are in the middle of a divorce and are selling their home. Chad Drexel described his daughter as an "uncontrollable child" who was also outgoing and athletic. "She's a 17-year-old girl and she doesn't listen," he said.

"I just pray that she's OK and that there was no foul play. I just want to know that she's safe." Back home, Drexel's friends were stunned by the news. Friend Daniela Albano doesn't know how to react. At first she didn't believe it. Then after the shock set in, she said, there were still moments of disbelief, see TINA YEE staff photographer Joseph Loszynski of Queensbury, left, has vowed to answer all questions the public, and Town Supervisor John Auberger, right, have.

came known for its imaging technology, especially at such local companies as Eastman Kodak Co. and Bausch Lomb Inc. "Today, as we go through this recession and see manufacturing jobs leave and new challenges emerging, we are in the midst of remaking ourselves again as we speak," Duffy said. Wegmans donated a 4-foot by 8-foot single-layer birthday cake decorated with the city's 175th anniversary emblem and pictures of 36 Rochester landmarks and historic figures, such as the Eastman Theatre, Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, City Hall and Frontier Field.

The 750-pound cake was actually 48 smaller sheet cakes combined, said Mary Czapar, a spokeswoman for Wegmans. The cakes were put together, frosted and decorated from 6 to 9 a.m. Tuesday morning at City Hall, she said. riiTt Saturday at the Greece Police Department. Citing Loszynski's 2005 inquest into misconduct within the Connecticut State Police and experience with New York State Police, Auberger said he had "every confidence" he picked the right person to Alicia Grieco said her son, John, 19, who has been dating Drexel for more than a year, suspected something went wrong Saturday night.

She said the two teenagers texted each other until about 8 p.m. Then after two to three hours without communication with Drexel, he started to worry. "He immediately told me that he had a bad feeling because it was not like her to go hours without contact. He stayed up all night thinking about it," said Grieco, of Greece. "John is so distraught and he is just hoping in his heart that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen." Alicia Grieco, who had spent holidays and some weekends watching Drexel's "fun-loving and outgoing personality," said she could see why her son talked about Drexel.

Brittanee Drexel's mother, Dawn Drexel, several other relatives and John Grieco traveled to Myrtle Beach to help police with search efforts. Dawn Drexel appeared on Nancy Grace's show on CNN Tuesday evening. Drexel's father, Chad Drexel, 37, of Gates stayed home with the couple's two other children, ages 5 and 11. itive impression, Blaisdell said. "Hopefully as (the children) get older they will appreciate it," she said.

"I hope they get awareness." NLEEDemocratandChronicle.com fore the alleged document-shredding. Drunk and high on cocaine, Joseph fled the scene of a June crash in which he rear-ended a stalled vehicle on Route 390. He was convicted last month of crimes connected to the accident. So far, Loszynski has teamed up with retired State Police staff investigator John Wood, and said he may need to add other staff as more information develops. Loszynski is being paid $450 per day, and Wood is receiving $375 per day.

Both work out of Greece Town Hall. Loszynski said he would share as much information as possible with the district attorney. Following Sunday's suspension with pay of Police Chief Merritt Rahn, Deputy Chief William Mackin and Sgt. Brian Ball over the alleged document destruction, Loszynski said he As of Tuesday, Drexel was still missing. Cpl.

John Heifer of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said deputies are helping Myrtle Beach police interview Drexel's friends who have returned to Monroe County. 20, Save on any membership before May 1 st Single Family Senior Sport Fishing, Recreation Camping would also find out if those documents were related to his investigation. "I don't know if anything of importance was shredded," he said. Foren-sics examiners with the State Police will try to reconstruct those papers, bags of which were seized "It's like you always hear about things like this, but you never think it will happen to you," Oberer said. Drexel was reported missing early Sunday morning by a family friend, a Marine who is stationed at Camp Le-jeune, N.C.

Among the witnesses interviewed by police was Peter Broswick of Rochester. A person who answered Broswick's phone declined to comment and referred reporters to an attorney he didn't identify. According to police reports, on Saturday night Drexel walked about a half-mile from the Bar Harbor Motel where she was staying to visit a friend at the Bluewater Resort. She left to return to her own motel room but never made it back. According to witness statements from young men who were staying at the Bluewater Resort, Drexel went to their motel room about 8 p.m.

Saturday but left about 10 minutes later to return an item of clothing to a friend with whom she had traveled. Oberer said she last heard from Drexel, via text, about 8:45 p.m. In that message, Drexel told Oberer that she was on her way back to the motel. Waterside Weekend RV Sites Tent Camping 2 Beaches Swimming Fishing No License Required Free Paddle Row Boats Playground Camp Store Volleyball Basketball Weekly Events Huge Seasonal Sites.