Jacob's Pillow announces two new board members

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Becket - Jacob's Pillow Board Chairman Neil D. Chrisman, and Nominating Committee chair Joan Hunter, formally introduced new Board members Christopher Jones and Wendy McCain at the Jacob's Pillow Board meeting on Friday, July 16. Mr. Jones, a Managing Director at JP Morgan, is a dedicated supporter of dance and the arts. Ms. McCain is a longtime patron of the Pillow and resident of South Egremont. Executive Director Ella Baff says of the newest appointees, "The Pillow is most fortunate to have these two fine people with varied expertise and perspective join our effort. They are elegant additions to our cause." Christopher Jones is a Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at JP Morgan Fleming's New York-based specialist portfolios group focused on Life Sciences, Technology, and Small and Mid Cap Equity Portfolios. An avid arts enthusiast, he is a regular attendee of dance performances and a committed patron of the Pillow. Mr. Jones was raised and educated in England where he received an M.A. in History from Cambridge University and began his professional career. Currently in the process of raising heirloom cattle, he resides in New York, NY and Hillsdale, NY with his wife Debbie and their three sons. Wendy McCain is a committed Pillow Member and patron of the arts. She currently serves on the Boards of the Children's Health Program and the Egremont Land Trust. Ms. McCain formerly served on the Board of Amsterdam House and was a special events consultant to various non-profit institutions within New York City, as well as the President of the Volunteer Council of the New York Philharmonic. She was born and raised in Boston, MA where she attended The Winsor School. She received a B.A. from Vassar College. Ms. McCain and her husband, Thomas, are permanent residents of South Egremont and have five children and seven grandchildren. Jacob's Pillow is located in the town of Becket in the rural Berkshires 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. Jacob's Pillow now encompasses an acclaimed international Festival (the oldest in the U.S.), a professional School, rare and extensive Archives, Intern Program, and year-round Community Programs. It's historic site includes 161 acres, 30 buildings, three stages (including the first theater in the U.S. built specifically for dance); three dance studios, a restaurant, pub, store, housing, an Archives, and administrative offices. During its three-month summer Festival, the Pillow attracts approximately 70,000 visitors to see international dance in all forms, styles and traditions and 200 free events, including performances, lectures, tours, film showings, exhibits, and talks with artists from all over the world. The Pillow presents and commissions new work and world premieres and has provided pivotal exposure to many artists and companies now considered indispensable to the dance canon including Martha Graham (who began her career with Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis), Agnes de Mille, Alvin Ailey, José Limón, George Balanchine, Edward Villela, Lester Horton, Robert Joffrey, Alexandra Danilova, Jean Leon Déstiné, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Balasaraswati, Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Asadata Dafora, Garth Fagan, Mark Morris, Liz Lerman, Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Netherlands Dans Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Urban Bush Women, Batsheva Dance Company, and many more. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was designated a National Historic Landmark by the federal government as "an exceptional cultural venue that holds value for all Americans." It is the first 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 Fifth-Graders Win Snowplow Name Contest

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the snowplows for Highway District 1 has a new name: "The Blizzard Boss."
 
The name comes from teacher Gina Wagner's fifth-grade class at Lanesborough Elementary School. 
 
The state Department of Transportation announced the winners of the fourth annual "Name A Snowplow" contest on Monday. 
 
The department received entries from public elementary and middle school classrooms across the commonwealth to name the 12 MassDOT snowplows that will be in service during the 2025/2026 winter season. 
 
The purpose of the contest is to celebrate the snow and ice season and to recognize the hard work and dedication shown by public works employees and contractors during winter operations. 
 
"Thank you to all of the students who participated. Your creativity allows us to highlight to all, the importance of the work performed by our workforce," said  interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng.  
 
"Our workforce takes pride as they clear snow and ice, keeping our roads safe during adverse weather events for all that need to travel. ?To our contest winners and participants, know that you have added some fun to the serious take of operating plows. ?I'm proud of the skill and dedication from our crews and thank the public of the shared responsibility to slow down, give plows space and put safety first every time there is a winter weather event."
 
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