Pete's Tree Farm

12/15/2010 - Brad Schneider and Justin McGuire are employees of Pete's Tree Farm in Rochester, New York.

Brad moves a tree from the bailer, which wraps them in twine, to a machine that drills a hole in the trunk that allows them to work with a special tree stand.

Brad laughs as he grabs the top of a "Charlie Brown" tree that is too small to fit in the drilling machine properly. Although "Charlie Browns" are the smallest, scrawniest trees on the lot, at prices under $5 they are one of the best sellers.

Corinne Scott

10/11/2010 - Corinne Scott gets advice from her teacher during acting lessons. Corinne left voice school and is now pursuing a career in theater.

Maria Sikic, Casey Staff, Janet Zimmerman and I did a multimedia project with Corinne last quarter for Will Yurman of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Jay's Diner

11/8/2010 2:45am - William Burns takes a cigarette break outside of Jay's. William works as a waiter during the overnight shift five days a week.

2:55am - William brings dishes out to a group of college students from Monroe Community College. "This is one of our busiest shifts. Being near three schools means we get a lot of business from the post-party drunk crowd."

Sherry Wolf

10/15/2010 - Sherry Wolf takes “City Newspaper” to task for its front page article “Labor’s Love Lost,” which she says falsely represents the American working class as the base of the new political right wing.

Click on image for full story (Rochester Institute of Technology Reporter Magazine)

Euthanasia

The project I am working on with Animal Services is centered around the euthanasia of healthy animals, and why city pounds are forced into this awful position.

This is Scooter.



Scooter was turned over to Rochester Animal Services because his owners couldn't handle it when he peed in the house. Thousands of animals like Scooter go through Animal Services every year, but because of severe space issues and a lack of interest in adoption, many will never leave.

Rochester Animal Services

I finally started working on my Animal Services project. I'm going out with Animal Control officers on their duties in Rochester and documenting what they do using still photography and audio. One part of the job is vaccinating and impounding animals that come in.



An unnamed dog reacts to his unfamiliar surroundings after being brought in by Animal Control.

"Gucci," an abandoned puppy brought in by officer Denise Lybrand, about to receive an oral vaccine. Healthy incoming animals are held in case someone comes to claim them, but most go unclaimed. Identified animals are held for ten days; unidentified animals are held for five.

Space and financial constraints mean that most of the animals that aren't claimed are euthanized. The shelter has a policy against adopting out Pit Bulls, and these make up the vast majority of dogs that come in. These and any dogs that don't pass the test to be adoptable are euthanized, and even some that go up for adoption are ultimately euthanized because of a lack of interest.

Loose Bear on RIT Campus

Slideshow of full story

A loose bear runs across the Sol Heuman quad after getting hit by a tranquilizer dart by a Department of Environmental Conservation staff member (DEC).

A DEC official holds his tranquilizer gun at the ready just after the bear ran across the Sol Heuman quad.

Students hope for a glimpse of the bear in a residential stairwell. The sign in the window reads "ETA on Tranq[uilizer]? This is UN-BEAR-ABLE"

After two tranquilizer darts, and about five minutes after getting hit by the first, the bear succumbed. It was then put into a net and loaded into a trailer.




A DEC official closes the bear trap after showing it to the media.

Edit: Changed DEC officer to staff members/officials. I don't have information on whether or not they are officers or biologists.

Genesee Valley Hunt Races

The Genesee Valley Hunt Races are a series of family and sporting events that take place on the second Saturday of October each year. Centered around the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup, a serious horse race with a large cash prize, the festivities include less serious horse races, dog races, kids' races, and tailgating competitions.

Competitors in the three-year-old category head for the finish line, and their parents' outstretched arms, during the "Stick Horse" races.

One boy looks for dogs willing to be petted during the "Parade of the Hounds."