Jacob's Pillow announces the Lorna Strassler Awardee for Student Excellence

12:00AM / Thursday, July 14, 2005Print Story | Email Story

Becket, MA - The School at Jacob's Pillow announces Avichai Scher as the 2005 recipient of its second annual Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence. The award includes both a full scholarship to attend a program of professional study at The School at Jacob's Pillow and a $2,500 cash stipend. From June 13 to June 26, Avichai Scher, 21 years old, participated in the professional-track Ballet Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow. Of dual American and Israeli citizenship, Scher, known to most as "Avi," is currently a member of Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley and will join the esteemed Joffrey Ballet in August. Scher has also performed with the Washington Ballet and the Sacramento Ballet, and has studied on scholarship at the School of American Ballet, the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, and trained as part of the International Ballet Master Classes in Prague. In addition to his extensive dance training, Scher has shown great promise as a choreographer. He was awarded first prize in the SJDanceCo choreography competition and has created more than two dozen pieces, many performed by American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, San Francisco Ballet School, Washington Ballet II, and Miami City Ballet. Earlier this year, Dance Magazine named him one of the "25 to Watch," an annual list forecasting the artists who show the potential to become dance's next idols. "J.R." Glover, Education Director at Jacob's Pillow says, "Whenever Avichai is on stage, he carves, slices, and defines the space with dynamic precision. He is also quite an accomplished choreographer for someone so young. His intense sense of purpose and direction made him a stand-out choice for the award this year." While at the Pillow, Scher performed with fellow students for the public at the Pillow's popular Inside/Out showing, as well as at the Season Opening Gala in a world premiere choreographed by an artist whose own career took shape at the Joffrey Ballet, Margo Sappington. He will return to Jacob's Pillow on July 20 for the Ted Shawn Circle Dinner, during which his award will be presented. "It is such an honor," says Scher, "to be recognized by such a prestigious organization among this pool of talented dancers." The Lorna Strassler Award honoree is chosen during The School's competitive audition and application process each spring, and is selected based on his or her ability to demonstrate advanced technical abilities, superior performance skills, a strong work ethic, and an inexhaustible commitment to the art of dance. Last year's awardee, Contemporary Program student Winston Brown, recently became a member of choreographer Paul Taylor's touring company, Taylor 2. Lorna Strassler has been a member of the Pillow Board of Directors since 1988, and the Lorna Strassler Award was established last year by David Strassler in honor of his wife's longtime support of education at Jacob's Pillow. The Strasslers' generous gift to the Pillow provides an annual full student sponsorship at The School at Jacob's Pillow, plus a cash stipend, and since it is fully endowed, the award will funded in perpetuity. Lorna and David Strassler are residents of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Each year, more than one hundred dancers attend The School at Jacob's Pillow's Ballet, Choreography, Contemporary, Cultural Traditions, and Jazz Programs to prepare for professional performing careers. Both demanding and rewarding, the programs include a rigorous, six-day-a-week curriculum of intensive dance classes and repertory rehearsal. More than just a training school for technique and performance, The School at Jacob's Pillow offers students otherwise rare opportunities to interact with other young artists and living legends of the dance world who serve as faculty and Festival artists, learn about dance history in the Pillow's extensive Archives, garner weekly performance experience on the Inside/Out stage, and attend all Festival performances and events. This unique, multidisciplinary education has proved a successful way to discover and nurture the talents of young dance leaders. For more information about the award, application guidelines, and 2005 School programs, visit www.jacobspillow.org. Festival Funding: As of April 2005, support for Festival 2005, including presentations and educational programs, has been provided by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; The Wallace Foundation; Surdna Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Altria, Inc.; The Shubert Foundation; Leir Charitable Trusts in Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Ridgefield Foundation; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation; National Dance Project and Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; Alex Toys; Dance Heritage Coalition; Evelyn Stefansson Nef Foundation; CapezioÂ®/Ballet Makers Inc. & CapezioÂ®/Ballet Makers Dance Foundation; Banknorth Massachusetts; Berkshire Bank; Onota Foundation; Big Y World Class Market; Arch W. Shaw Foundation; Health New England; Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; the Pillow Business Alliance; and our Members. Major endowment funding comes from the Talented Students in the Arts Initiative, a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Surdna Foundation; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; William Randolph Hearst Foundation; and Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Jacob's Pillow is located in the town of Becket in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts. The Pillow, as it is affectionately known, was originally the Carter family farm in the 1700s, and in the 1800s served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Its pioneering spirit was furthered in 1933, when legendary dancer, teacher, and choreographer Ted Shawn founded the Festival as a showcase for his company of Men Dancers and as a home for dance in the U.S. Jacob's Pillow now encompasses an acclaimed international Festival (the first and longest-running in the U.S.), a professional School, rare and extensive Archives open to the public free of charge, an Intern Program, and year-round Community Programs. The historic site includes 161 acres, 31 buildings, three unique stages (including the first theater in the U.S. built specifically for dance), three dance studios, exhibition spaces, restaurants, the Pillow Store, residential housing, administrative offices, gardens, trails, and woodlands. The Pillow presents international dance in all forms, styles, and traditions, and approximately 200 free events each season, including performances, lectures, tours, film showings, exhibits, and talks with artists from all over the world, which yield approximately 80,000 visitor experiences annually. Pillow Founder Ted Shawn was instrumental in beginning the careers of Martha Graham and Jack Cole, and the Pillow has continued this mentoring role by providing opportunities to young artists such as Alvin Ailey, JosÃ© LimÃ³n, and Mark Morris. Companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Parsons Dance Company have been seen at the Pillow for the first time anywhere, and international groups such as The Royal Danish Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater have made their U.S. debuts here. World premieres have been commissioned from masters such as Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor, and legendary artists such as Margot Fonteyn and Mikhail Baryshnikov have been showcased in new works. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was declared a National Historic Landmark by the federal government as "an exceptional cultural venue that holds value for all Americans." It is the first and only dance entity in the U.S. to achieve this honor. The Pillow looks forward to celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2007, and has launched its first endowment campaign, The Fund for Jacob's Pillow, to help ensure its eminence and longevity for others to enjoy in years to come.

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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
04:21PM / Monday, June 08, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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