By Dresden Engle
The year was 1994 — 10 years too late to be made famous by George Orwell and six years before Y2K. But, yet, it was a big year for families in the Rochester area (aka the Genesee Valley) because that is when our magazine first hit the stands. And, now two decades later, it’s an anniversary worth celebrating … because parents and children are worth celebrating.
We’ve grown a lot in the past 20 years – our magazine, our city, and ourselves. We asked a few Rochesterians about their past, present, and hopes for the future.
LOVELY WARREN, Mayor of the City of Rochester
WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU ASSOCIATE MOST WITH 1994? In 1994, I was a junior at Wilson High School. Like many young women, I was on the precipice of change. As is typical with most 17 year olds, one minute I was thinking and acting like the woman I would become; and in the next, reacting and behaving like the girl I still was. It was a time where I was struggling with some personal challenges, and coming to understand that to a great extent, what path my life and my future would take was all up to me.
TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE “WHEN YOU GREW UP”? Since I was a young girl, I knew I wanted to be in public service. After my grandfather was shot while working as a security guard at Wegmans, I made up my mind that I wanted to be an attorney so that I could help others.WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 20 YEARS? Twenty years from now, my little daughter Taylor will be a young adult —spreading her own wings and preparing to fly. I hope that by that time we will have achieved great things for the City of Rochester so that Taylor, and all the other children of Rochester, will want to settle right here to live, work, contribute to their neighbors and neighborhoods, and raise their children in a city that will be as good to them and their children as it can possibly be.
STACEY PENSGEN, Meteorologist/Reporter, News 8 – WROC TV
Stacey, a nationally competing figure skater, was interviewed in the inaugural year of Genesee Valley Parent. She skated in the Senior Nationals with Michelle Kwan when she was 16 and shared a coach with Todd Eldridge and Tara Lipinski.
WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU ASSOCIATE MOST WITH 1994? I was 8 years old and what I remember most is the Junior Nationals in Indianapolis. It was the first time I had ever been at Nationals and the first time I was competing against people from the West Coast. I knew it was a big deal but at the time I didn’t know how big. Oh my gosh, it seems so long ago, but it’s all on video. My parents videotaped every single competition, even if they had to sneak the camera in. Somewhere in my mom’s house, there is a video of every competition I’ve ever been in. My mom also vividly remembers when I was interviewed for Genesee Valley Parent when I was 8.TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE “WHEN YOU GREW UP”? I just knew I wanted to skate. But by age 12 I learned I also loved the weather. I was a nerd and always watched the weather channel when I got home from school. From then on I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 20 YEARS? I am very lucky since I am from Rochester and this is home. So I’m in a lucky place. I’m absolutely fine staying here and being close to my family. I truly love what I do and the people I work with, the station I’m at, and my hometown. If I was here in 20 years or 50 years from now I would be perfectly happy.
SCOTT SPEZZANO, morning radio show host, WPXY
SCOTT SPEZZANO AND CARLY RAE JEPSEN
WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU ASSOCIATE MOST WITH 1994? I was working in radio. Actually, I started in radio when I was in high school, interning at the SUNY Geneseo radio station. I then worked at Magic 92, WDKX, WCMF, and two years at a Boston station. But 20 years ago I was doing the morning show at WPXY, and how lucky am I that this is exactly where I still am today?In 1994 I was kid-less and single and DJ-ing at a ton of high school dances and clubs like Heaven and Karma. WPXY was big-time Top 40 radio and our street presence was huge and our events were huge like our Summer Jam at the Downtown Festival Tent behind Geva Theatre. It’s awesome people were listening to me when they were growing up, a whole generation that is now coming up and telling me their kids are listening to me. How cool is that?
TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE “WHEN YOU GREW UP”? Well, I never thought I’d grow up so I kind of stayed in that mode. I was afraid if I did grow up it wouldn’t be fun any more.WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 20 YEARS? I hope to continue to be on the radio and just be a part of everybody’s morning for the next 20 years. My wife, Jill, and I are having the best time ever. I have one son in high school and one son in college, who is studying culinary arts at Johnson & Wales and also a DJ spinning at parties like I used to do.I have been so fortunate and have done so many wonderful things in my life that my bucket list has been checked off… and then some. I just took a selfie with Fall Out Boy and on the other end of the spectrum I got to introduce Lionel Hampton at the Jazz Festival. I’ve hung out with so many music stars, from Joan Jett and the Go Go’s to Dave Matthews. I even played dueling lobsters with Phil Collins backstage at the Blue Cross Arena; we were literally throwing lobsters at each other. I met U2 when they came to the country on their first American tour and every time we cross paths, Bono always remembers me. He ven brought me backstage in Toronto. Amazing experiences!
NORMA HOLLAND, Anchor, 13WHAM TV and Member of EstroFest Comedy TroupeWHAT MEMORIES DO YOU ASSOCIATE MOST WITH 1994? I was in my second semester as a freshman at SUNY Geneseo, eating cold pizza from Mama Mia’s, performing in an on-campus comedy troupe, working at the campus TV station and drinking coffee so I could stay up late to study. I was trying to figure out what to do with my academic career and was going back and forth between studying public relations or journalism. I guess you can figure out which one I went with!
TWENTY YEARS AGO, WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE “WHEN YOU GREW UP”? I did envision myself working as a journalist in some capacity. I knew that I had to write or I would never be happy. Mostly, I just wanted to be free to choose my path. My mother didn’t have the choice to go to college and didn’t feel that certain careers were available to her.WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 20 YEARS? I’d love to write a book (topics have been tossed around for years), work on a documentary, travel and wear my curly hair kicked up and out! I’d also love to raise a child to be a good human being.
Dresden Engle is a Rochester-based writer and PR professional as well as the mom of two second graders and a comedian and singer.
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