The Rogovoy Report 5.8.23

From around the corner to around the globe...

May 07, 2023

The Counteroffensive

(The Atlantic) - Although the war is not lost, it is also not won. Kherson is free, but it is under constant attack. Kyiv’s restaurants are open, but refugees have not yet returned home. Russia’s winter offensive has petered out, but as of this writing, in mid-April, it is unclear when Ukraine’s summer offensive will begin. Until it begins, or rather, until it ends, negotiations — about the future of Ukraine and its borders, Ukraine’s relationship to Russia and to Europe, the final status of the Crimean Peninsula — cannot begin either. Right now Vladimir Putin still seems to believe that a long, drawn-out war of attrition will eventually bring him back his empire: Ukraine’s feckless Western allies will grow tired and give up; maybe Donald Trump will win reelection and align with the Kremlin; Ukraine will retreat; Ukrainians will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of Russian soldiers, however poorly armed and trained they may be. Uniquely, the United States has the power to determine how, and how quickly, the war of attrition turns into something quite different

A ground-level view of the planned new Doris Duke Theatre. The lobby on the west side of the new Duke is visible in this image. (Mecanoo Architects and Marvel)

Jacob’s Pillow Reveals Designs for Rebuilt Doris Duke Theater

(The Architect's Newspaper) BECKET, Mass. - Jacob’s Pillow, the Berkshires’ renowned dance center, has announced plans for a new, Mecanoo Architects–designed theater. The Doris Duke Theater, which burned down in 2020 will be rebuilt on a larger scale. The original 8,500-square-foot theater will be rebuilt as a 20,000-square-foot facility that can seat up to 230 people. While the performance venue’s focus is dance, the building will be able to support additional events and residences with a range of stage configurations. Sam Gill, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Foundation, said that “The new Duke Theatre will enable Jacob’s Pillow to harness the digital revolution to serve a more inclusive, innovative, and engaging vision for dance.” Jacob’s Pillow sees the theater as ushering in the future of its programming as a “future-forward dance theater.” Read also, Jacob’s Pillow’s plans for new $30M Doris Duke Theatre (Berkshire Eagle)

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Inspired by Pittsfield’s failed experiment of 20 years ago, North Adams seeks artists' work to feature in windows of empty downtown storefronts, in another effort to jump-start an arts-based revival that will wind up creating a Potemkin village (B Eagle)

8 must-see summer museum exhibitions in the Berkshires (B Eagle)

At MASS MoCA, is bigger always better? (ATU)

The National’s Aaron Dessner’s favorite things include Casa Susanna Restaurant in Catskill (The Guardian)

NEWS FROM THE BERKSHIRES

Triplex Cinema Purchase Deal Breaks Down at the ‘Eleventh Hour’

(Berkshire Eagle) GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - A deal between the owner of The Triplex Cinema and a company that wants to buy and redevelop the movie theater broke down at the last minute over money. Both Cinema Lab CEO Luke Parker Bowles and Triplex owner Richard Stanley say the other changed their conditions last week just before the agreement was to be struck. The Triplex is widely regarded as the cornerstone of the revival of downtown Great Barrington.

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Voters at Great Barrington’s town meeting denied $400K in community preservation funds to the Alander Group, which sought the funds for affordable housing units as well as historic preservation of the Mahaiwe Block (Berkshire Edge)

ServiceNet is hiring for jobs at a proposed homeless shelter on MCLA’s campus. The school, however, says a deal with the state to lease the dormitory has not been finalized. (B Eagle)

Design guidelines adopted for Pittsfield’s so-called Downtown Creative District (iBerkshires)

Natural Bridge in North Adams to undergo redesign (iBerkshires)

Santarella’s ‘thatched’ roof is in desperate need of repair; problem is, no one knows how to fix it (B Eagle)

Simon’s Rock students allege that early college has pattern of mishandling or covering up sexual assault complaints (B Eagle)

A brighter, drier week ahead (B Eagle)

NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY

Kenoza Hall in the Catskills (photo Tony Cenicola/NYT)

At 6 Catskills Resorts: Retro Design, Modern Comfort and Games

(NYT) THE CATSKILLS, N.Y. - The Catskills’ legacy as a resort destination extends back to the early 19th century. It was where one of the country’s earliest resorts, ‌the Catskill Mountain House, made its home in 1824, followed by hundreds of others. A resurgence swept the area from the 1920s through the ’60s, when it became known as the ‌borscht ‌belt‌‌, owing to the number of sprawling hotels there that attracted members of New York’s Jewish community. Now, once again, there’s an influx of new inns. While many are attracting families, others are targeting a younger audience drawn to a contemporary aesthetic that also evokes earlier eras, and curated travel “experiences.”

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For 128 Hudson residents, $500 a month is a game-changer (ATU)

Community organizer Claire Cousin to challenge fellow Democrat, assemblywoman Didi Barrett, from left (ATU)

Mystery surrounds closure of Merchants Social restaurant in Hudson (ATU)

City committee intent on closing down one of two truck routes running through Hudson (GoR)

Hudson police officer investigated four times in past five years, internal docs reveal: investigations focused on unregistered handgun, lying on an incident report, and leaving his post as a school resource officer in order to conduct an illicit affair with a married woman (ATU)

Hudson seeks Dunn Warehouse developer for riverfront revival (HV360)

No Relief: What happened to the bathrooms at the Taste NY store on the Taconic? (ATU)

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