Duffy consolidates city departments
In a cost-cutting move on Thursday Jan. 29, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy announced the creation of a new Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. The move is expected to save the city $1 million annually.
According to Duffy, the move consolidated the Department of Economic and Community Development and Neighborhood Service Centers.
Duffy added that the move will cut government jobs. Twenty-two full-time employees and five part-time employees are expected to lose their jobs.
‘We took a hard look at ourselves inside,” Duffy said. ‘We’ve cut positions; we’ve cut jobs, we’ve saved money, and, in the end, we have a better product. We cannot keep putting the cost of government on the backs of taxpayers.
‘The reason why people leave New York State, the reason why people complain about the cost of property taxes, we talk about it all the time, it’s the cost of government.”
Conor Willis is a member of
the class of 2011.
UR doctors develop treatment for soldiers
A group of UR scientists are developing a bone cement that could help prevent infections common in U.S. military personnel. The team hopes to apply a cement-like substance to the bone that will hopefully stop the spread of the infection.
Osteomyelitis, a bone infection, is caused by fractured bones exposed to air. The bacteria that cause the infection is present in more than 30 percent of soldiers recovering from fractures in field hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recent studies have shown one in four war wounds could potentially be exposed to this harmful bacteria.
‘If you apply the findings from two small studies to the entire U.S. military, which is a leap, perhaps 2,000 soldiers come into field hospitals with compound fractures each year that become infected with A. baumannii,” Professor of Orthapedics at Strong Memorial Hospital Edward Schwarz said.
Current treatments for the disease often kill the strain of bacteria responsible, but harmful bacteria quickly replaces these strains.
Conor Willis is a member of
the class of 2011.
Flags lowered for
former employee
The University’s flags were lowered to half staff on Friday, Jan. 30 in honor of Judy Mack, a former administrative assistant in the physics and astronomy department. Mack lost her battle with cancer on Jan. 1.
Mack worked at UR since 1981 and developed friendships throughout her department.
Doctors first discovered Mack’s cancer in 1995. After taking a short time off, she returned to work full-time.
Mack retired in 2005 but continued to work as a part-time employee for the University until late October. Mack’s colleagues remembered her sense of humor around work.
Jerome Nathaniel is a member of
the class of 2011.
