DAY THREE
Rochester is safe ... but small
A police officer suggested Joe Porter not return to his native city of San Antonio.
"I told him I wouldn't mind living back in San Antonio, and he said, 'Yeah you would, it's pretty dangerous down here.' He said he sees a lot of teenagers that have been killed or shot," Porter said about a recent visit to Texas. "Living up here, I don't really have to deal with gangs or things like that."
Three who left city behind give it high marks
Annika Gill's profession keeps her away. Thea Thim left for college. So did Nicole Boardman, who now teaches in California.
Calling Rochester home
Love, work and family bring 20-somethings to Rochester.
Those same reasons often keep them here despite difficulties finding affordable places to live or jobs in their fields.
Many teens find ways to make their own fun
To Katy Chia, it's not a big deal that Rochester is without top-flight skate parks, cyber cafes or other hangouts for teens.
Youth resource organizations
A sampling of organizations serving youths in the area.
DAY TWO
Dance organizer reflects on frustrations
With his short hair and muscular torso, he looks more like a high school football player than the instigator of an emotional citywide debate.
Variety of efforts try to satisfy a variety of interests
Growing up in Rochester in the 1950s and '60s, Roy Sutherland recalls, he played pick-up sports, cruised Broadway and hung out at Benny's, a downtown root-beer stand.
On the outside looking in
On a hot Friday afternoon, Jon Jenkins is exactly where he wants to be, doing exactly what he wants to do.
Some businesses have misgivings about hiring young people
Finding a job isn't as easy as it used to be for teenagers in Rochester. Employment opportunities for teenagers in retail and restaurant businesses are declining, and employers who do hire younger employees are increasing age requirements to 16 or 18, according to youth employment specialists.
DAY ONE
Through young eyes
Rochester has been a mainstay in surveys ranking quality of life. When Money magazine started listing the nation's best places to live back in 1993, Rochester won prime mention, and on several occasions was chosen the best place to live in the United States.
City viewed as sluggish when it comes to teen programs
Since developing a passion for skateboarding, Andy Armstrong has known the joy of being hectored and hounded all over Rochester.
Asking youths what they want leads to a plan
An ice skating rink in Byron, a Police Athletic League in Rochester and new playground equipment at a Stewartville park have at least two things in common. One is obvious. The other is less apparent.
