Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 6

6A ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1999 ROCHESTER President Publisher Editor Vice PresidentMews DAVID L. HUNKE THOMAS E. CALLINAN JAMES F. LAWRENCE Editor, Editorial Page MTZI BAINBRIDGE JEFFREY A. KAPUSCINSKI V.PAnformation Technology V.PJMarket Development MARY J.

DEVISH MICHAEL J. MONSCOUR V.PJFinante V.PJProduction THOMAS P. FLYNN JAMES C.PAUL V.PCommunications Controller RICHARD GREENE EVERTON J. WEEKS V.PA-hman Resources V.P Advertising STANLEY N.YOSHIDA V.PJCirculation A GANNETT NEWSPAPER I DON'T WANT TO CQ i TO THE PEACE gf WON)'T GO TO THE PACE 7BLE. I OoisJT A TO Go I OKAV.

To TU PACE TABLEy gf Tgujjp yM GoT ais flirt- lArT i- 4wd YOO cA'r FiHE ME fW IWI eecwse p.r. Editorials Thumbs up, thumbs down For Vincent J. Stanley, who received the 63rd annual Rochester Rotary Award at a luncheon on Tuesday. Stanley may really surprise people 1 Not everything Cuomo did was is a founding member of Rochester Fights Back, a coalition to stem drug abuse. Other organizations and institutions he works for include Phoenix House, Hope Hall, the Women's Foundation of Genesee Valley, McQuaid Jesuit High School, St.

Joseph's Villa and the Boys and Girls Club. "I choose to encourage young people really, people of all ages to improve their lives in a meaningful way," said Stanley, who is chief executive officer of VJ. Stanley a wholesaler of hot water heating equipment. For Rosie O'Donnell, for imrifrintr Trvm Coll or b- tr Gov. PataM Gov.

George Pataki has managed to build up enormous expectations for a special announcement he plans to make about his political future Monday. Speculation ranges from hisabandoning his informal race for president and endorsing Texas Gov. George W. Bush to announcing he's going to run for the U.S. Senate next JAY GALLAGHER year.

It might be hard for him to match the hype. So here are a few things he could say that would really startle people: I have been wrong in being so aggressive about raising campaign money, holding up lobbyists and other fat cats for thousands of dollars and giving at least the appearance that government is for sale. From now on, I'll limit donations to $5. In fact, I am today submitting campaign finance reform legislation that I've been talking about for months but haven't gotten around to actually spelling out. I'm abandoning my national aspirations because being governor requires my full attention, especially now with the budget deadlock and uncertainty this year over other issues like health care and tort reform.

I'll even live in Albany full time. It's boring, but it's my job. I'll join with legislators in forgoing my salary until there's a budget in place. If it's good enough for those attacking him for having appeared in an advertisement for the National Rifle Associatioa "I didn't come on your show to have a debate." he said. "I came on your show to plug a movie." Moreover, O'Donnell's words were hypocritical; she has done commercials for Kmart, which sells, among other things, firearms.

In assessing the ambush, Selleck said, "I think it was an example of the moral vanity and intolerance that is all too often fueling the political debate in this country." For the Rochester Americans "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U. S. CONSTITUTION FOUNDED IN 1833 "Others Award for helping improve the lives of others; former Jasco Tools President Gary Rogers of Greece, volunteer of the year, Penfield Supervisor Channing Philbrick, Bell Ringer Award; WBEE-FM (92.5), Media Award; Mary Beth Wrobel of WROC-TV (Channel 8), Red Kettle Campaign Award. For Midlakes Middle School pupils, who, through a baked food sale and Student Council contribution, raised $850 for the refugees of Kosovo.

The money was sent to the International Response Fund. For Lake Country Romance Writers, which raised $503 for Literacy Volunteers at their Book Lover's Breakfast at Brooklea Country Club in Gates. For Community Mitzvah Celebration Day, in which 450 members of Temple Sinai and other organizations, such as Hillside Children's Center, Foodlink, Wilson Commencement Park and the American Red Cross, prepared meals, planted gardens and cleaned homes in the Rochester community. For Fyle Elementary School's budding artists, who, as participants in the "Kids View the World of Plants" project, created a painting that is on display at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.

Art teacher Len Miller directed the project. Fyle is in the Rush-Henrietta district. For Frederick Douglass School nuoils. oarents. teachers, staff and administrators who participated in the Math-A-Thon, which raised more than $2,200 for St.

Jude Children's Research Hospital. The pupils participated by obtaining sponsors for 100 mathematics problems they did during spring break. For AIDS vaccine testers, who were recognized Tiiesdav in CJf the AIDS Remembrance uaraen 01 mgniana ranc The University of Rochester Medical Center sponsored the event. For Greater Rochester International Airport, which, for the second straight year, has been named one of the best airports in the Northeast for removal of snow and ice. The honor was bestowed by the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives.

For Kathy Taddeo's fourth arade class at Iroauois (jfcar Middle School in Irondequoit, which raised $1,558.85 at a carnival to benefit LauraAnne Hirschler, the child who had liver transplant surgery. phone, fax and e-mail. We publish their views the next day. Other Views: Our editorial page staff scours newspapers from around the country and around the world and publishes editorial excerpts. If you find an interesting view in your travels, send the newspaper to us for consideration.

Young Views: We want to know what our young people from kindergartners to young adults think about various issues. Write us, fax us or call our TalkBack line. Make sure you include your full name and daytime telephone number. bad. In fact, the Child Health Plus plan I'm so proud of expanding, which pays for health insurance for poor children, and a big business-tax cut were both enacted in Cuomo's last years.

It's a disgrace I ducked debates in my two gubernatorial campaigns. I pledge to always engage in debates in any future races. I'll approve no further tax cuts unless ways are identified to pay for them. No more taking credit for cutting taxes in an election year when we don't have a clue about how to pay for them when they kick in a few years down the line. In the wake of one of my aides this week threatening Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari with a shutoff of patronage because he talked about what my announcement might be, I will direct my aides to treat elected officials, (even Democrats), state aides and even the news media with respect.

No more profanity-laced tirades allowed. I'm going to try to bury the hatchet with Rudy Giuliani and not in his skull. We have issues too important to too many people to let personal feelings get in the way. So Rudy endorsed Cuomo in '94. So what? That was a long time ago.

I'm too big to hold grudges. Any one of these statements would be enough to qualify as a major political bombshell. Jay Gallagher is chief of our Albany bureau. Contact him at 150 State Albany, NY 12207. E-mail: E-mail: gannettalbany.net the gamut from ska and rock' n' roll to Latin pop and it even features a duet with Madonna.

Latin music, with its mixture of European, African and indigenous influences, is a very American sound with a developed sense of its own multicultur-alism. No matter the language, it's the ability to mix influences that's making the Latin sound so vital in America today. The sudden arrival of Latin music is a welcome change from the anti-immigrant messages that plagued Hispanics in the early part of this decade. As more Latinos achieve a higher profile in the entertainment media, they can help dispel the negative image created by years of depictions of Latinos as criminals and domestic servants. With a modern twist on the music that once had Americans flocking to dance halls in the '40s and '50s, Latinos are contributing the latest chapter in a glorious pop-music legacy.

Ed Morales is a staff writer for the Village Voice in New York City. He can be reached at Progressive Media Project, 400 East Main St, Madison, Wis, 53703- e-mail: me' syndrome fe Booster Club and the Amerk players for helping to build a playground for children in the pediatric unit at Monroe Community Hospital. The booster club gave a check for $1,550 to the T. T. Frank Williams, M.D.

Foundation at the hospital, and the players donated incentives they received for outstanding play, such as scoring a hat trick or shutting out an opponent Latino influence reverberates in America elected representatives of the people, it's good enough for me. I'll tell state workers, to whom we've offered no pay hike for the next four years despite our $2 billion surplus, that I'll take whatever raise they eventually settle for. I know that means I might have to give up some of the 38 percent hike that I got last December, (making me the nation's highest paid governor at $179,000 a year) but fair is fair. And speaking of money, I'll give no more paid speeches out of state, since I suspect when people voted for me for governor they expected that would take my full attention. I admit that I've not only been good as a governor, I've also been lucky.

I took office at a time when the national economy was starting to grow, welfare reform was on the national agenda and Wall Street was in the early stages of the biggest bull market in history. I would have had to be a real dope to screw it up. I intend to start inviting Democrats to news conferences when I tout our accomplishments. After all, nothing becomes law here without them signing onto it as well. The next time Senate Republican Majority Leader Joe Bruno starts going on about how the big-spending policies of former Gov.

Mario Cuomo almost bankrupted the state, I'll remind him that every penny the state spent had to be approved by the Senate. In fact, for every year of Cuomo's 12 years in office, the Senate (as well as the Assembly) took Cuomo's budget proposal and added to it. take anybody by surprise. Just because there hasn't been a huge Latin star since Desi Arnaz doesn't mean the music died. The population of Latinos in the United States is steadily increasing the Census Bureau predicts that by 2005, Latinos will become the nation's largest minority group.

And Latinos love their music. Over the last two -years, Latin radio stations in New York and Los Angeles have held the number-one spot for months, and last year Latin recordings generated $570 million in revenue. Americans seem to be more and more open to Latin music. The cocktail lounge swing-dancing fad has fueled a salsa-dancing craze. The partial thawing of relations with Cuba has allowed a parade of innovative dance bands to tour the United States.

In a phenomenon some call "reverse assimilation," a new generation of Latin youth has returned to its roots, fueling multimil-lion dollar sales of salsa, merengue, cumbia and norteno music. And in California, a new alternative music called Rock en Espanol is thriving. Lopez calls her music "Latin Soul," a mix of pop, rhythm and blues, hiphop and salsa; Ricky Martin's album runs would say otherwise. On the other hand, it's not calculus. You can trust me here.

I've had four stepmothers my father was a serial husband and have been a stepmother myself. The secret, in a word, is: relax. Do your job; lower your expectations; do not be needy (you're the grown-up after all); be empathetic and compassionate; say little, be patient Most important, remember that the little darlings did not fall in love with you; their dad did. I have a modest proposal for improving stepfamily relations. Get rid of the words "stepmother" and "stepfather." The prefix "step" has such negative connotations, thanks to Cinderella, that For the more than 300 runners, 40 volunteers and kJ-3 uuzens 01 sponsors who participated the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester's 5K Run for the Young May 9.

More than $12,000 was raised to benefit youth. For Eastman Kodak's successful recycling program for its single-use camera, and for the environmentalists who America braced this week for a Latin music explosion. Puerto Rican pop idol Ricky Martin's Livin'laVidaLoca YJ) was near the top of 1 the charts, earning jIUIiAIjLo him and Latin music a place on the cover of Time magazine. A few weeks ago, New York City's Times Square was packed with a throng of young kids cheering for him. And this week, a crowd gathered there to celebrate a new pop idol: Jennifer Lopez.

Looking like Madonna, with her blond-brown streaked hair, unabashed sexuality and dazzling dance moves, Lopez premiered her new video, If You Had My Love. And there's more to come. Salsa me-gastar Marc Anthony is due to release an English-speaking album this summer, and Mexican crooner Luis Miguel, Colombian rocker Shakira and even Julio Iglesias' son Enrique are all planning to storm the charts within the next few months. What's more, television ads for everything from beer to investment-retirement accounts seem to have a hot mambo soundtrack. Suddenly the whole country's hips are shaking.

The Latin pop explosion shouldn't pushed for it. Last night Kodak received the Gold Medal for International Environmental Achievement from the World Environment Center. For the Salvation Army Annual Awards winners: Lawyer James Townsend of Brighton, William Booth Award for leadership; Ann Costello of Penfield, Catherine Booth Award in recognition of her service as former director of community investment for the United Way of Greater Rochester; Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle, Stepmothers suffer from 'poor RSVP An invitation to participate in public dialogue The Democrat and Chronicle offers several ways for readers to contribute to the community discussion on our editorial pages. Stepmothers are becoming militant, demanding respect and understanding for who they are and what they have to do, says Time magazine. My sides are aching already.

I guess it was inevitable that stepmothers would join the legions of America's disenfranchised. Like everyone else these days, they've got Web sites, support groups and self-help KATHLEEN PVI1KER books. 'a i7 rrt. Letters to the editor and longer Speaking Out essays are one way for you to share your thoughts with other readers. Send them to Letters, 55 Exchange Rochester 14614; or call our TalkBack line at (716) 258-2401; send a fax to us at 258-2356; or submit letters via e-mail to dceditpageDemocratandChronicle.com Reader On Sundays, we connect readers with politicians, community leaders and other newsmakers.

Have a question? Call 258-2414 or write us at the address above. Rash Feedback: Readers are invited to respond to controversial issues by it's unusable. I have a friend who introduces herself as the "gorgeous stepmother," just to spiff up the image a tad. It would be better to say what she really is: wife and friend. I called my father's second wife "Mama" because I was 4, my mother was dead, and I wanted a mama.

All subsequent tenants (just kidding, ladies) were my dad's wives, not my stepmothers. The rule should be that the child defines the relationship. People who demand love or respect and understanding usually get the opposite. Kathleen Parker writes for the Orlando Sentinel, 633 North Orange Ave, Orlando, Ft 32801. E-mail: kparkerkparker.com Step-parenting is a tough job; no one.