Festival Closures Spark Business Tensions | Rochester News

As the Puerto Rican Festival winds down, safety concerns are sparking tension on North Clinton Avenue. Roads will close at 6 PM to prevent unruly crowds, with volunteers monitoring from 4 PM to 1 AM. While officials say it’s for neighborhood safety and order, local business owners fear lost revenue and out-of-town visitors deterred. City leaders defend the closures as necessary, blaming some vendors for prioritizing profit over public safety. But lawmakers like Mercedes Vazquez-Simmons urge better dialogue and collaboration for future events, calling for businesses to be included in planning to balance celebration and community well-being. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c3c7c0e4b7d73ec5