Genesee Sun

Furry Friends: Duncan

Take a look at this week's Furry Friend, Duncan. He is a small, black and white 4-year-old purebred Papillion that is up for adoption.

He is a very active and energetic dog who enjoys playing outdoors. This cheerful pup loves to be with people and will play well in a yard with other dogs.

To learn more about Duncan and his friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

Furry Friends: Ziva

Ziva is an approximately 1-year-old mastiff/bulldog mix who is super sweet and loves to hug and give kisses.

As a typical young dog, she does lack some manners and will jump on you for attention. For that reason, a home with children under six years old may not be best for her, but she is good around older children and other dogs, though her behavior around cats is unknown. Ziva is considered a “bully breed” so a fenced yard is required as well as obedience training after adoption. This will help her with her manners and bonding with her new family to ensure she stays a lifelong pet.

If you are not willing to commit to training, please refrain from filling out an application. Ziva’s adoption fee is $250, which covers all of her medical care and expenses. She is spayed, microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested negative. If you are interested in adopting Ziva, please visit www.goingtothedogsrescue.org to fill out an application for consideration.

Wadsworth Library named RRLC 'Library of the Year'

GENESEO - The historic Wadsworth Library in Geneseo has been recognized as the 'Library of the Year 2013' by the Rochester Regional Library Council which has been announced to the public via their website Monday.

This particular award is presented annually in three different categories of public, private and school libraries across five different counties surrounding the area.

"The award is all based on nominations and votes coming from the public. Just about 200 individual votes were submitted [for the Wadsworth Library] and they [voters] each had to explain why they thought their library should win," said Sarah Matthews, of the Wadsworth Library.

On Monday, the Wadsworth Library hosted an open house styled celebration in the afternoon at the library on 24 Center St. in Geneseo.

At the celebration, the Wadsworth Library showed off a new plaque and banner for the 'Library of the Year' for 2013, an achievement they can uphold for the entire year.
"Libraries in Monroe County have won the past several years, so it will be nice to bring the award to Livingston County," claimed Matthews.

For more information about the award, please visit the Rochester Regional Library Council at www.rrlc.org and be sure to check out www.wadsworthnylibrary.blogspot.com for all information regarding the Wadsworth Library and their events.

Furry Friends: Roxy

Roxy is a 6-year-old Dachshund mix who was adopted and returned when her owner passed away. She loves everyone and also loves car rides, going for walks, swimming in her kiddy pool in the summer, and sleeping in (preferably under the covers). She will sneak out an open door so a home with youngsters who tend to leave doors open isn’t recommended for this little one.

To learn more about Roxy and her friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

Furry Friends: Amber

Amber is a 1-year-old American Bulldog-Terrier mix who enjoys playing with other dogs at SuzyQ Dog ResQ.

Amber is housetrained, walks well on a leash, and does not bark much. She is very friendly and smiles when she gets excited.

To learn more about Amber and her friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

Mel’s Cutting Image wraps up health

AVON — When most people hear the word “wrap,” they often think of the healthier alternative to a sandwich. But Melissa Reid, owner of Mel’s Cutting Image, is bringing another healthy “wrap” to the folks of Livingston County—It Works! body wraps.

The It Works! wraps are made from all natural plant botanicals and are applied to peoples’ target areas to help tighten, firm, and tone. Reid said the results, which can be seen in as little as 45 minutes, last longest when used as part of a healthy lifestyle. There is also a defining gel which can help the results last longer.

Reid, an independent distributor of It Works! wraps, offers the wraps at her salon, located at 30 Genesee Street in Avon, for $30 per wrap, or two people for $25 each. Loyal customers can get four wrap treatments for $59, which are typically $99 for four. Customers can apply the wraps themselves at home or have Reid apply them. Reid also runs “wrap parties” at customers’ homes. For a party of five or more people, the hostess gets wrapped for free. All guest wraps are $25-$30 each.

While some wrap treatments involve working out, Reid, who uses the wraps herself, said the It Works! wraps do not, and that the process is simple.

“People will want to wear comfortable clothes. We’ll talk about their target areas and I’ll take photos from the front and the side. I always send it to them through a text message so they can see their results the next day,” Reid said. “I measure them and I mark where I measured, so they can see where my tape measure was. Then I put the wrap on their body, and I Saran Wrap them. The Saran Wrap makes sure the wrap doesn’t move from the targeted area, and that’s it. It’s a matter of like ten minutes total.”

It Works! also features an all-natural nutritional line and an all-natural skin care line.

“People often ask if it’s water weight,” Reid said. “It’s not water weight you’re losing, because you have to drink a ton of water.”

Reid said the wraps can make skin feel and look tighter and smoother.

“I’m on my fourth wrap,” Reid said. “The skin is much tighter.”

Reid also uses some of the company’s nutritional products, including a powder called “Greens on the Go™,” which is equivalent to eight servings of fruits and vegetables and can be put in any drink.

“For me, I kind of needed that wrap to get me jump started on my healthy lifestyle,” said Reid, who is using the products as well as maintaining a healthy diet.

For more information, you can call the salon at 585-226-2002. More information on It Works! can be found at www.wrappedintohealth.com.

Furry Friends: Leni

Leni is an Australian cattle dog mix who is approximately 8 months old. She was placed in an overcrowded shelter and later relocated to Going To the Dogs Rescue in hopes of finding a loving home for her.

The adoption fee for Leni is $250. This fee includes her spay, microchip, deworm, heartworm test, vaccines, and rabies vaccination.

If you are interested in adopting Leni, please visit www.goingtothedogsrescue.org to fill out an application for consideration.

Furry Friends: Showman

Showman is a 3-month-old terrier mix who was rescued from a full shelter. This sweet boy is waiting to find his forever home.

He gets along with dogs, cats, kids, and loves everyone. He was labeled a terrier mix, but he looks to have either bull terrier, greyhound, dane, or whippet in him as he is very thin and tall. He is neutered, microchipped, dewormed, and vaccinated. His adoption fee is $250 to cover those expenses.

If you’re interested in adopting Showman, please fill out an application at www.goingtothedogsrescue.org.

Furry Friends: Oliver

Oliver is an 8-year-old Miniature Schnauzer mix who ended up in a local shelter and was later removed to avoid the stress of a kennel environment.

As an older dog, Oliver is looking for a retirement home where he can be cared for and loved. The small Schnauzer appears to be mixed with a silky terrier. Although Oliver is blind, he is able to move around fairly well. Oliver's adoption fee is $50 to help reimburse for the medical care he has received thus far. He is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped.

If you are interested in adopting Oliver, please visit www.goingtothedogsrescue.org to fill out an application for consideration.

Film Review: Side Effects

Your doctor knows best.

Dir. Stephen Soderbergh, with Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Channing Tatum.

It’s a little tricky to write about Side Effects, Stephen Soderbergh’s moody new film about depression, treatment, and violent crime, and avoid a major spoiler problem.  It’s an interesting film that addresses some important contemporary issues, but it starts out as one kind of film and gradually morphs into another kind of film altogether.  But even saying that has the potential to give away too much.

The film follows Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara), a young woman in her twenties who struggles with depression.  After a brief opening sequence that suggests some kind of violent crime, the film jumps back three months, and thereafter moves forward chronologically.  Emily’s white-collar husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), is in jail for insider trading (I know, I know… hard to believe) and is about to be released.  Emily is increasingly depressed, in part due to the pressures of work and the stress of her husband’s bumpy reentry into the business world.  An apparent suicide attempt puts her under the care of Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), an Emergency Department psychiatrist who chooses not to hospitalize her in favor of private visits and medication.

Things get more complicated, with Emily’s condition apparently worsening.  Dr. Banks, whose personal and financial life is already in turmoil, is enticed by a pharmaceuticals sales rep into a program of human trials for the fictional new anti-depressant Ablixa, which is already being marketed to the public.  At the same time, Banks is under subtle pressure from the patient herself.  Emily is subjected to an onslaught of pharmaceutical advertising and a grapevine humming with talk about the various anti-depressants, including the newest ones and what “worked for me,” and is encouraged repeatedly to “ask your doctor about Ablixa,” which no doubt suits the pharmaceutical companies just fine.

After the film catches up to that opening sequence, at about midway, it morphs into a medical mystery-thriller kind of thing, which is where the spoiler problem really kicks in.   The material is handled reasonably well by the director, in some ways, with interesting camerawork focusing attention on details that suggest one or another theories as to what happened and what may be happening.  Overall, though, it’s downhill from there.  The story gets seriously tangled up in its own shoelaces, and the bow at the end doesn’t help.

Rooney Mara (breakout role – Lisbeth Salander in the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) is sufficiently convincing as the increasingly troubled Emily, although she seems young for the business crowd that her investment banker husband runs in.  Jude Law, who is onscreen for the majority of the film, in my opinion has a bone to pick with the screenwriters.  He is a serviceable actor, but his actions and dialogue in the second half often make no sense at all, especially if one has actual doctors or therapists in mind for comparison.  Catherine Zeta-Jones, as Dr. Victoria Siebert, Emily’s previous therapist, in this film at least makes for a thin femme fatale.  In her case, though, it seems only partly a shortcoming of the script.

Thriller twists and problems aside, the first half of the film raises the more interesting issues.  It gives us a serious look at the problem of the complex, unethical, and at times corrupt relationships between drug companies, media advertising, medical/therapy practitioners, and individual patients.  As it follows Emily through her struggle, the film illustrates how contemporary drug marketing practices can drive the treatment process.  Decisions about medical and psychiatric treatment are made by overworked or lazy doctors under pressure from pharmaceutical companies, marketers, peers, and even patients.  The actual business of doctors prescribing drugs for patients is like some kind of a high-stakes chemistry experiment, in practice little more than trial and error.  The film suggests that the system itself is the problem, or a big facet of it.   By midway, the potentially severe side effects of anti-depressants, referred to in the title, have apparently come into play, with major dramatic consequences.

What happens at the turn, the thing that changes the film into something else, is a “ripped from the headlines” kind of moment that ought to open the door for the film to dig in even harder, and shine a bright light into the nasty business, but it’s a missed opportunity.  From there on out – and you’ll have to see it for yourself – Side Effects pretty much leaves those topics behind, raised halfway and then dropped.  Instead, the film devolves into a sordid and confusing little tale of bad personal behavior, with the main problem being one of simple criminal justice of the most individual, personal kind.  A good conspiracy theorist might ask why this is so, and what hand the pharmaceuticals industry might have had in the financing of the film, especially with all the product placement opportunities, but that would be a project for another day.

*****

Showing now at the Geneseo Square Cinemas.

Film reviews by Mike Williams, including this one, are collected on his blog,
WideAngleMovies.com. 

Local youth speak out against big tobacco

GENESEO — Livingston Youth at Goodwill have seen enough marketing from the tobacco industry, so they decided to participate in Kick Butts Day by joining other youth across New York State to stand up against big tobacco.

Chase, 13, said, “I don’t want my friends to ever smoke cigarettes. Everyone knows it’s bad for you and it’s wrong that tobacco companies try to get kids addicted.”

In New York State, 107,000 high school students smoke each year and 22,000 kids under 18 become new daily smokers. According to the Surgeon General’s 2012 report Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, youth tobacco use is a “pediatric epidemic” and is caused, in part, by tobacco industry marketing.

Retailer stores in New York display an average of 32 square feet of tobacco products or the equivalent of more than 200 cigarette pack faces. In New York, 82% of retailers dedicate at least half of the space behind the checkout counter to brightly colored tobacco displays.

Kick Butts Day, organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is a national day of activism that empowers youth. There were more than 1,000 events in schools and communities across the United States and around the world.

Since nearly all adults started smoking before the age of 18, parents and community members must be aware of the impact of all this point of sale marketing and take steps to protect our youth,” said Susan Bell, community advocate. “It’s our community and our kids we want to protect.”

For more information about the harmful effects of tobacco marketing at the point of sale, visit www.seenenoughtobacco.org or contact the Tobacco Action Partnership of Livingston County at 243-7299.

Going To The Dogs Rescue vies to win $10,000

PERRY — Between now and April 28, Furry Friends contributor Going To The Dogs Rescue will compete to win grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 each to help pets in need.

Voting takes place at theanimalrescuesite.com. Prizes like shelter beds and vaccinations for animals could help the Perry-based shelter cut expenses and have more room in its budget to care for rescued pets. Folks can vote once a day every day during the voting period.

Going To The Dogs Rescue is a foster based group, so instead of a facility or set location, its dogs are in individual volunteer homes where they receive love and care until they find their permanent homes. The nonprofit group runs on the gracious donations and support from the community.

Furry Friends: Chester

Chester is a 7-year-old Pomeranian. He is housetrained and sleeps at the end of the bed.

Chester doesn’t like to be crated, but luckily he is very trustworthy in the house. He can be a little grumpy sometimes but is also very lovable. He would do best in a home with a fenced in yard and no young children.

To learn more about Chester and his friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

Furry Friends: Bosco

Bosco is an Italian Greyhound/Chihuahua mix who was turned over to the dog pound because his owners had no time for him.

SusieQ Dog ResQ rescued him and have been teaching him how to live in a house with people who care about him. Bosco is about a year old and weighs 12 pounds.

To learn more about Bosco and his friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

Scholarships Offered at this Year’s Student Art Exhibit

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — This year's Livingston Arts Annual All-County Art Show will be held at Keshequa High School on Saturday March 23.

A twist to this year's show is that up to three scholarships of $200 will be awarded to high school seniors who are planning to attend college majoring in arts or an art related field.

Teachers will nominate their students for consideration, and will be allowed to submit up to 40 pieces of student artwork to be judged by the likes of local college art professors, retired high school art teachers, and professional artists. Judges will select the scholarship winners.

The show will be open to the public from 12-4 p.m. with judging to begin at 10 a.m. The Best of Show and First Place winners will see their artwork displayed at the Livingston Art Center Galleries from March 27th until April 27th during regular gallery hours. Following the month-long display, there will be a closing reception held on April 27th from 1 to 3 p.m.

The All County Art Show's student art exhibit will not only provide both teachers and students to recognize and appreciate other students' artwork from around the county, but to share ideas and techniques as well.

Furry Friends: Courtney

Courtney is an “a-dora-bull” 1-year-old “pocket pitty” who is a doll.

This terrier/pit bull mix is sweet around children, loves to play with rope toys, and just needs a loving home to call her own.

If you’re interested in adopting Courtney, please fill out an application at www.goingtothedogsrescue.org.

Furry Friends: Mack

Mack is a German Shorthaired Pointer who is a little over a year old. This beautiful dog loves people and likes other dogs and cats. He is housetrained and loves to be outside with you or cuddling on the couch.

To learn more about Mack and his friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.

The Whale and the Warbler brings full house to Muddy Waters

GENESEO — Muddy Waters Coffee House on 53 Main Street in Geneseo is well known by many for its relaxing environment and enthusiasm for local music.

The Whale and the Warbler, a band composed of SUNY Geneseo students, attracted a large student crowd with their ten-song set at Muddy’s last night despite the heavy snowfall.

“Local scenes are everywhere, but it’s really nice to be a part of one whether it’s us playing at the farmer’s market, or at Muddy,” said Rob Wojcikiewicz, drummer for The Whale and the Warbler.

The Whale and the Warbler’s lineup includes:

Conor McCann - Guitar, Vocals

Emily Cirincione - Viola, Vocals

Steve Rosenzweig - Trumpet

Andy Patt - Trombone 

Alex DiPaola - Bass, Vocals

Dan Lynch - Guitar, Banjo, General Quarter Noise, Vocals

Rob Wojcikiewicz - Drums, Glockenspiel

The band, normally on stage with seven members, was missing their bassist Alex DiPaola last night which resulted in banjo player Dan Lynch having to cover for DiPaola on bass.

Lead singer Conor McCann stated that the band’s unique folk-jazz style is influenced by that of Phosphorescent, Phil Elvram, and Neutral Milk Hotel.

When asked how the band got started with so many members and different styles, McCann expressed, “When we first started I was playing a lot of noise and folk by myself. Steve and Andy have been playing jazz for a while so that’s how our styles really combined.”

McCann and other band members were really pleased with the crowd at Muddy’s last night.

“Out of all the shows me and Rob have played there, that was the most packed by far,” said Lynch.

“We felt loved, and we feel people really appreciated it,” Wojcikiewicz said.

While The Whale and the Warbler was the headline at last night’s event, another student-based band, Drowned Valley, was on stage right beforehand playing a nice set. Kicking off the night at 7:30, Warbler banjoist Dan Lynch and drummer Rob Wojcikiewicz played a few tunes from another band they are a part of called Mammal is a Mountain, where Lynch provides lead vocals and guitar, and Wojcikiewicz plays mandolin.

This past Saturday, The Whale and the Warbler were busy recording for their new album expected to release this spring.

“Saturday we recorded in the Presbyterian church on Center [Street] for about 6 hours. This was our first show since recording,” said Lynch.

The band members were very appreciative of Muddy Waters letting them play the show, as it generated fans for both the band and the coffee house.

“Local merchants and local bands have equal goals,” stated Lynch. The large student crowd at Muddy’s last night can surely back that statement, as the crowded venue was thrilled to relax and hangout watching live music being played, while enjoying their favorite hot drinks that Muddy’s has to offer.

The Whale and the Warbler’s demos can be heard on SoundCloud, and their next show will be hosted at The Bug Jar in Rochester on Feb. 27.

GCS brings “The Little Prince” to stage

GENESEO — The Geneseo Central School Drama Club brings “The Little Prince” to the school’s McCarthy Auditorium March 22 at 7:30 p.m. and March 23 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

The family friendly play is based off the book of the same name and tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted aviator whose plane strands him in the Sahara Desert. A regal-looking little man appears and the two spend two weeks together in the desert. The little prince tells the aviator about his adventures through the galaxy, how he met the Lamplighter and the Businessman and the Geographer, and about his strained relationship with a very special flower on his own tiny planet. The little prince talks to everyone he meets and gains a unique insight which he shares with the aviator from each.

The cast and crew consist of:

Aviator- Ben Kelly
Little Prince- Josh DeBell
Fox- Kyle Fletcher
Rose- Emily Mullin
Snake- Melita Kingston
King- Joel Cripps
Conceited Man- Cameron Skidmore
Geographer- Eric Leary
Lamplighter- Jamie Andrest
Business Man- Matthew Esham
Desert Flower- Sara Finn
Ensemble-Claire Linton, Makenzee Cohoon, Elizabeth Kaye, Mallory Crane
Stage Manager- Rebecca Esham
Assistant Stage Manager Running Crew- Kyle Scoville
Assistant Stage Manager Sound- Jacob Lyon
Assistant Stage Manager in Training- Paul Cripps
Light Board- Sean Bennett
Sound Board- Cal Cylke
Sound Assistant- Anthony Rutigliano
Props- Julia Pavio, Nelle Argentieri, Kara Meierdiercks, Phoebe Hartvigsen, Catalina Rodriguez, Cami Mehlenbacher
Make-up- Mary Rutigliano, Kate Hochbrueckner
Running Crew- Hannah VanWuyckhuyse, Riley Ellison, Paul Cripps
Costumes- Paige Moreland, Haley Moran, Gwen Norton, Martha Norton, Emily Watkins
House Manager- Desiree Alexander

Tickets cost $5 for kids and seniors, and $7 for adults. For tickets, call 243-8088.

Furry Friends: Buddy

Buddy is a Catahoula Corgi mix who loves everyone, including cats, dogs, and especially kids.

He has been neutered and vetted and is currently working hard on his housetraining.

To learn more about Buddy and his friends, contact SusieQ Dog ResQ, formally known as Another Chance Ranch, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To find more about the adoption process, visit www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY705.html. Adoption fees vary.