The Rogovoy Report 7.17.23

From around the corner to around the globe...

Jul 17, 2023

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REQUIRED READING

The Most Shocking Aspect of RFK Jr.’s Anti-Semitism

(The Atlantic) - Last week, at a dinner event in Manhattan, the Democratic primary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared his unvarnished thoughts about the nature of the coronavirus. “There’s an argument that it is ethnically targeted,” he explained, in remarks captured on video. “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” At least 1 million people in China have died from COVID-19; far from being immune to the virus, Jews in places like New York were often unfairly accused of spreading it. As a Jew who had his own bout with the coronavirus, Kennedy’s claims were news to me. But given the source, they also weren’t a surprise. Seen in the context of Kennedy’s career, what’s surprising is not his foray into anti-Semitism but that it took him this long to arrive here.

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Donald J. Trump and his allies are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government if voters return him to the White House in 2025, reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands. (NYT)

Could Trump go to prison? Federal charges over classified docs show momentum is building (The Guardian)

FOOD & DINING

Cello in Lenox Hits All the Right Notes

(Berkshire Edge) LENOX, Mass. - When chef/owner Bjorn Somlo decided last fall to close his restaurant in Lenox—Nudel, a local favorite for many years, Robert Fried and Karen Kowgios were already looking for a path to a new adventure. When they decided to enter a long-term lease for the 37 Church Street location, they knew they had found it. Like many farm-to-fork establishments, the Cello partners are careful to note where their ingredients originate — including nearby places like Tyringham, Maplebrook, Berle, and Off the Shelf farms. On this particular night, the menu ‘mains’ include roasted chicken, seared walleye, poached shrimp, and grilled strip steak, along with D’s zucchini bread and Carmen’s Saturn peach cobbler for dessert. An additional drinks menu lists two pages of locally sourced wines, beers, spirits, and cocktails.

Cocktails and Perfume? The Maker Hotel’s Pairings Are Sensual Delights

(ATU) HUDSON, N.Y. - Among The Maker Hotel’s warren of immersive, elaborately envisioned spaces is one called The Lounge. Here, a unique offering can be found: cocktails inspired by the hotel’s line of signature perfumes. The Lounge is a cocktail bar that’s open to hotel guests and the public alike. It’s the only space at the hotel where the fragrance cocktail program can be experienced, though fragrance is a part of the bigger picture throughout the hotel.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ceramics Gallerist Leslie Ferrin Tracks 40-Year Journey in ‘Are We There Yet?’

(RI) NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - “Are We There Yet?” at Ferrin Contemporary on the MASS MoCA campus is not just another Berkshire summer gallery exhibition. Well, it is and it’s not. Most works, including newly created pieces, are for sale. But some are on loan from private collectors and artist archives, which is odd for a commercial gallery — particularly one of this caliber. Ferrin Contemporary is renowned for its specialization in contemporary ceramics and introduction of living clay artists to a wider population of art appreciators and collectors. But “Are We There Yet?” is a uniquely introspective exhibition for gallery owner Leslie Ferrin as well as the 20 participating artists and the community at large. You could call it a survey show, but not of a specific artist’s work. It’s a survey show of the gallery itself. Consistent over the past 40 years is Ferrin’s unwavering commitment to artistic production and career development. “The role that we play is to connect artists with the public and create an opportunity for them to make new work through sales,” she says.

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Germany’s Gauthier Dance brings its trademark fluidity and abandon to bold program at Jacob’s Pillow (Boston Globe)

When a tax bill threatened to shut The Granary down, supporters rallied to save the historic building and Mixed Company, the beloved theatre it houses (Berkshire Edge)

High Peaks Festival brings 50 international music students to Berkshires for master classes that are open to the public (Berkshire Eagle)

New exhibit ‘Humane Ecology: Eight Positions’ opens at the Clark (iBerkshires)

Boston Symphony Orchestra flutist Elizabeth Rowe, who sued BSO for pay discrimination in 2018, is stepping down (B Eagle)

Guy Davis entertains at Spencertown Academy (Columbia Paper)

Where Have All the Workers Gone? Great Barrington Businesses Struggle to Find and Keep Staff

(MSN.com) GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. - Great Barrington is a bucolic town in the beautiful Berkshires. During a recent visit, a group of us ventured out for a meal downtown on a Wednesday evening. To our surprise, it was nearly impossible to find an open restaurant to enjoy a sit-down meal. An Indian restaurant had closed its indoor seating and was takeout only. Another place was only open four day of the week, while a third establishment had restricted hours. We noticed other groups like us on foot, wandering from place to place, only to find one darkened storefront after another. "Staff needed" signs are hung not only outside restaurants, but also at the assortment of trendy downtown retail shops.

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Mosquito experts warn that recent flooding will result in ‘breeding event’ for mosquitos — a ‘worst-case scenario’ (Berkshire Eagle)

Pittsfield city council considers dropping residence requirement as search for new permanent police chief gets going (WAMC)

North Adams fire chief cited for failure to yield to pedestrian in brutal accident; mayor restores chief to full paid duty (WAMC)

Mohawk Theater marquee in North Adams to get complete restoration (B Eagle)

Williamstown rectifies gross disparity in pay for library employees to bring in line with other town employees (iBerkshires)

Great Barrington library board asks residents to fill out strategic plan survey (Berkshire Edge)

GB Selectboard fails to take action on financial relief for Housatonic water customers (B Edge)

GB Selectboard considers real estate transfer fee to support affordable, workforce housing (B Edge)

Smoke from Canadian wildfires to return to region today (B Eagle)

NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY

More than 13,000 years ago, an ice dam burst at Glacial Lake Iroquois, sending a massive flood down the Hudson Valley. Above, the Valley viewed from Bear Mountain.

The Flood that Created the Hudson Valley

(ATU) HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y. - The recent flooding throughout the Northeast and here in the lower Hudson Valley has been nothing short of catastrophic. At least one person died, thousands were left without power or had their homes destroyed, and train tracks were washed out. At a briefing, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “They’re calling this a ‘1,000-year event.’” We can only be thankful it wasn’t a 14,000-year event. The Hudson Valley was formed in large part by the glaciers that covered the area up to about 20,000 years ago. The retreating ice field left behind much of the natural beauty — the hills, waterfalls and rock outcroppings — that make the region its own school of art. But after the last glacier had retreated, scientists believe, a flood that makes the cliché “biblical in proportion” seem understated swept down the valley with such force and power that it carried automobile-sized boulders from the Adirondacks hundreds of miles out to sea.

READ MORE:

Spongy moth invasion a nuisance and a danger (HV360)

Former Columbia County Chamber of Commerce CEO admits funds theft (ATU)

Southeastern Columbia County wants to reopen its only medical clinic serving five-town area (ATU)

Local officials applaud immigrant protection measures (HV360)

Capital Region, Hudson Valley facing unhealthy wildfire smoke Monday (ATU)

Reunion, reflection at Bliss Towers public housing project’s 50th anniversary in Hudson (HV360)

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