The Rogovoy Report 12.26.22
From around the corner to around the globe...
REQUIRED READING
The Homeownership Society Was a Mistake
(The Atlantic) - It is a truth universally acknowledged that an American in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a mortgage. I don’t know if you should buy a house. Nor am I inclined to give you personal financial advice. But I do think you should be wary of the mythos that accompanies the American institution of homeownership, and of a political environment that touts its advantages while ignoring its many drawbacks.
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Everyone complains about a lack of downtown parking. The solution may not be more parking lots, but fewer. (The Guardian)
Michael Saltz suggests the solution to the labor shortage may lie in encouraging more foreign immigration to the U.S. (Reflections)
We’re drowning in old books. But getting rid of them is heartbreaking. (WaPo)
How the daughter of an atheist and a Catholic became a leading documentarian of Yiddish culture (Daily Hampshire Gazette)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Turner, Constable and Whistler Get New Treatment at The Clark
(Boston Globe) WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - “On the Horizon: Art and Atmosphere in the Nineteenth Century,” a new exhibition of works on paper at the Clark Art Institute, opened in November. It features works by J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, and James McNeill Whistler. Where Turner and Constable converge is in the growing early-19th-century fascination with atmospherics, a scientific examination of air and sky that seeped into the popular culture of the day. The show sketches the contours of an era of wonder and discovery, and a society keen to have its feet leave the ground.
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After only 18 months on the job, Boston Symphony Orchestra head Gail Samuel resigns (Boston Globe). Clarence Fanto reveals (some of) inside story behind shakeup at BSO and Tanglewood (Berkshire Eagle)
Great Barrington-based glass artist Natalie Tyler’s sculpture, WildFire, is lighting up the plaza at the United Nations in New York City until Dec. 31 (RI)
Paul Scott’s updated souvenir plates on view at Albany [N.Y.] Institute of History & Art through Saturday (B Eagle)
The portrait hung in Joan Didion’s home. But who painted it? No one in Didion’s circle knew the mysterious painting’s origin. The publicity created by an auction of her belongings in Hudson, N.Y., brought the first clues in years — and the answer. (NYT)
Yo-Yo Ma is finding his way back to nature through music (NYT)
NEWS FROM THE BERKSHIRES
Richard Stanley to Sell Triplex Cinema to N.J. Based Cinema Lab; Will Be Renamed 'The Great'
(Berkshire Edge) GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - For the past 28 years, South Egremont resident Richard Stanley has owned the Triplex Cinema, a key cornerstone in the revival of America's "best small town." Now, however, Stanley is intending to sell the building to Montclair, New Jersey-based theater company Cinema Lab. The new owner says the retail space adjoining the cinema will become an 'independent bar,' the entire building will be renovated, after which it will be renamed 'The Great.'
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Lenox restaurateur, political donor, tipster, Sandisfield native: The many roles of FTX’s Ryan Salame (NYT)
Former Housatonic School building to be redeveloped into 10-unit apartment complex (B Edge)
Great Barrington town leaders say no to proposed shuttle service to Wassaic, N.Y. MetroNorth train station (B Edge)
W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project in Great Barrington launches search for sculptor (B Edge)
The Lantern owners seek new tenants for Pittsfield landmark (iBerkshires)
Pittsfield COVID rates creep slightly higher (iBerkshires)
Williamstown interim police chief becomes permanent pick (iBerkshires)
Egremont police officer involved in alleged brutality incident defends his record, including other complaints (B Eagle)
North Adams' Apkin scrapyard, owned by same family for 65 years, shuts down (iBerkshires)
Great Moments in Higher Ed: MCLA student facing felony charge for allegedly assaulting a student by pouring bleach under their dorm room door (B Eagle)
Sen. Warren notches wins as a Biden administration insider (Boston Globe)
NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY
Will Development Ruin Rhinebeck? Depends Whom You Ask.
(ATU) RHINEBECK, N.Y. - Long considered the toniest town in the Hudson Valley, Rhinebeck’s rolling historic estates, proximity by train to New York City, intellectual and artsy offerings, and access to the Catskills make it an ideal spot for weekenders and affluent retirees alike. Now, new developments in and around town appear poised to cement its exclusive reputation — and put it firmly out of reach for anyone but the rich.
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Hudson Valley podcast scene covers everything 'upstate' — from true crime to comedy to brides (ATU)
Sidewalk repair legislation dies in Hudson city council (GoR)
Initial plans for former Kaz Warehouse property in Hudson to include farmers' market, festival space (GoR)
Detailed plans for Galvan's Fourth Street hotel in Hudson revealed, provoking some dissent (GoR)
Roll Call: Founding Members
Richard Koplin
Rhonda Rosenheck