Who is Rural Intelligence?
Rural Intelligence is the brainchild of journalists Marilyn Bethany, who lives full-time in Columbia County, NY, and Dan Shaw, who lives full-time in Litchfield County, CT. They have both worked as editors and reporters at The New York Times and New York Magazine, where they met 20 years ago.
They created Rural Intelligence because they recognized the need for a reliable information source for people like themselves, who routinely do business and seek recreation and entertainment in four counties—Berkshire, Columbia, northern Dutchess and northern Litchfield—that are spread over three states. This sprawling region, they believe, is not well-served by mainstream media, which tends to hew to conventional jurisdictional lines. They have combined their extensive experience in print journalism with the technology of the day to create Rural Intelligence, which treats this uniquely sophisticated region as one big neighborhood. Their hope is that sharing information will foster a sense of community that transcends county and state boundaries. Rural Intelligence is the place where full-time residents and weekenders can share their passion for culture and country life.
To build an audience, Rural Intelligence advertises on-screen at several movie theatres. They also run seasonal print ads in the programs of all the major cultural venues. But our principal marketing strategy is word-of-mouse—fans of the site forward the link to their friends who then become fans of the site. As of the summer of 2010, Rural Intelligence has grown to over 27,000 visitors a month.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (near left at the Taking Woodstock premiere) has been the design editor of The New York Times Magazine and New York Magazine. She was the executive editor of Los Angeles Magazine and the editor-in-chief of Buzz, an award-winning city magazine for Los Angeles. She has written for Vogue, Town & Country, Elle Décor, and Architectural Digest.. She is married to the writer Edward Tivnan. They have two grown daughters, Maisie and Nell.
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (with his former boss Oprah Winfrey) was a founding editor of the The New York Times Sunday “Styles” section. He has been features editor of House & Garden, as well as deputy editor of HomeStyle and O at Home magazines. He has written for publications that include Berkshire Living, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine and Real Simple. For four years, he regularly wrote the Habitats column for The New York Times Sunday Real Estate section. He is also the founder of The Falls Village Blog. He has co-written several coffee-table books on design including In the Pink: Dorothy Draper - America’s Most Fabulous Decorator and Class Act: William Haines - Legendary Hollywood Decorator
RI’s advertising director Kate Frank Cohen (welcoming guests to the Spencertown Academy’s annual winter benefit), has been living in Columbia County since 2000 (full-time since 2003). Prior to moving upstate, Kate was manager of PR at the 92nd Street Y, and director of communications at Japan Society and Volunteers of America. From 1985-92 she was manager and publicist for her youngest son, actor Jedidiah Cohen. Since 2003 she has been a director of Spencertown Academy Arts Center (serving as board president from 2004-9), and she is a trustee of the Red Rock Historical Society and founder and head of RISD Rural, a Rhode Island School of Design tri-state regional alumni group. She is an associate broker with Arthur Lee of Red Rock, Inc.
RI cultural correspondent Bess Hochstein (far left, at the IS183 Art School of the Berkshires 2008 gala, Rock the Opera), leads a dual life as feature writer and a marketing communications and public relations consultant. Bess has 25 years of communications experience in the financial services industry. Having last held the post of Senior Vice president and Director of Institutional and International communications at Putnam Investments, she took the leap into the freelance world with her former employer as her first client. As a feature writer for such publications as The Boston Globe, The Wine Enthusiast, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, and Ceramics Monthly, Bess writes about the good things in life—food, wine, music, dance, art, home design, interesting people, yoga, and travel—with an emphasis on wellness/spa vacations and dog-friendly travel. In addition to covering art openings and parties, Bess curates our music and dance listings. She lives in Tyringham, Massachusetts, with her husband, Kipp, and her rescued corgis, Duffy and Hobbes.
Carey Maloney, The Wandering Eye, has been an interior decorator for over 25 years, After receiving an MBA, he left his native Texas for the Big Apple, where he landed a job at Christie’s Front Counter. His talents were quickly seized upon by the Estates and Appraisals Department where he spent two years putting inventory stickers on wonderful things and seeing beautiful houses. Eventually he left Christie’s to run the business side of an interior design firm. The stars aligned when Carey met Hermes Mallea, an architect. In 1983, they hung up the M (Group) shingle, and they’ve been doing beautiful projects and getting laudatory press ever since.
Throughout his adult life, Peter Davies has inadvertently followed the sage advice: to remain intellectually and creatively alive, change careers every twenty years. Educated for a dual career as an academic and theatre director, he completed his studies with a Ph.D. in Theatre History from Yale, after which he taught and directed at the University of Illinois’ the American College in Izmir, Turkey; the University of Montreal; Tulane University; and Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington.
His three year stay in Turkey in the early 60’s ignited another passion: tribal weavings; in particular, kilims. In 1975, he established Turkana Gallery in New York. Over the intervening years, he has curated numerous exhibitions, lectured widely, and has authored many articles on the subject, as well as two books,The Tribal Eye and Antique Kilims of Anatolia. Another sideline: Turkana Odyssey, a travel agency specializing in “An Insider’s View of Turkey” tours.
Nine years ago, when he and his partner Mark Scherzer bought a derelict farm in Germantown, it was with the intention of someday bringing the land back to life. As a consequence of the 9-11 attack, however, the couple suddenly found themselves homeless in New York City, so Turkana Farms became their refuge. It rapidly took shape. Extensive perennial flower and vegetable gardens now surround the house, attesting to Peter’s lifelong passion for gardening. But the couple’s main focus at Turkana Farms is on preserving heritage-breed farm animals—Karakul sheep, turkeys, geese, and ducks, egg and meat chickens, guinea fowl, Ossabaw pigs, and British White beef cattle—in a natural, sustainable, humane environment. Peter now spends most of his time at the farm, even as he continues to juggle Turkana Gallery and Turkana Odyssey.
Mark Scherzer, who has been Peter Davies’ partner for nearly 31 years, credits Peter with introducing him first to vegetable growing, then, after their purchase of the farm, to raising livestock. (Quite an achievement, as Mark had been leery of even touching these exotic creatures). A half-time farmer, Mark also practices law in New York City, advocating to secure consumers’ rights to health, life and disability insurance benefits. He is Legislative Counsel to New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage and has served on several public commissions on insurance reform. In 1992 he was awarded Lambda Legal Defense’s Liberty Award for his groundbreaking work on insurance cases involving HIV/AIDS, and he also has been recognized for his work on behalf of people with cancer and multiple sclerosis. According to Mark, farming, which is all about fostering life, proves to be the perfect antidote to a career that is all-too-often focused on disease and death.
RI Kids Page editor Taitia Shelow is a freelance writer who started her career as a newspaper reporter in western Pennsylvania. After moving to Columbia County, NY, she spent six years as the reporter/photographer for the Chatham Courier. Currently, her articles appear in the Chatham Press and Columbia Paper. She also writes for the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and does public relations work for non-profit organizations in the county.
In addition to her full-time “job” as a mother of two, Taitia brings to her RI position her experience as a nanny, director of several afterschool programs and substitute teacher. When she’s not busy with her family or working, Taitia likes to volunteer for her community. She has been a member of the Northern Columbia Rotary Club for seven years, the past three years as club secretary. She was active in the Chatham Middle School PTSA for four years and helped launched Columbia County Habitat for Humanity’s “Women Build.”
