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!!PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! SOURCES: AT CITY WATER DEPARTMENT, SHIT HAPPENS, LITERALLY … plus … THE PLANET’S REVIEW OF BTG’s “IRMA VEP”

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By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2014) — Under The Empty Suit (TES), the Global Montello energy company employee who play acts as the mayor of Pittsfield and pulls down nearly $88,000 a year+bennies from bedraggled city taxpayers, the hits just keep coming.

A few years ago, non-supervision and non-accountability led to a corrupt worker draining the Pittsfield Water Department nearly dry. The accused employee “resigned” and left town to his next gig. He wasn’t prosecuted, and the city was never made whole for the missing money.

Yesterday, THE PLANET shared exclusive news about another questionable hire by The Empty Suit. The mayor gave his OK for a long-time water department employee with no managerial experience and nothing more than a high school education to take over as the head of the Highway Department.

Sources describe Kevin Swail as a “crony” of city public works commission Bruce Collingwood. Swain, sources say, is also friends with David Santolin, former head of the Pittsfield water department now serving in the same capacity in Lanesboro. Santolin’s wife, Susan, has a job in as executive secretary in the mayor’s office.

In yet another exclusive, THE PLANET shares the fallout from the recent deluge of rain in this soggiest of city departments. Remember the torrential rains on June 25? Sources say that because of the incompetence at the water department, a sizeable raw sewage spill has infected the Housatonic River and the nearby adjacent farmland. What makes a bad story even worse is that, according to sources, the city has deliberately withheld the worst of the information from the state Environmental Protection Agency.

Our source pick up the story from there:

“Well, even though everyone in the water department knew the downpour [on the 27th] was coming, a decision was made by management to shut down some of the treatment plant equipment.” Consequently, sources tell THE PLANET “a large amount of raw sewage was discharged directly into the Housatonic River. The City is trying to cover this up because of the environmental impact.”

Knowledgeable sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, believe Pittsfield will be fined big bucks for the error in judgment.

——– 000 ——–

News of the environmental disaster will come as a surprise to our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council, who are, after all, only TES’ co-governors in the running of the city. If our sources are correct and the state EPA hits the city with a large fine, that bill can be attributed directly to the mayor’s ineptness.

Sources say the EPA has gotten wind of this ill wind. As the theme from Dragnet put it so aptly, “Dum dee dum-dum.”

Sources also tell THE PLANET that Carl Shaw was running the plant at the time of the incident.

Piecing together information from our investigation, here’s what THE PLANET thinks happened: At the time of the downpour, two catch basins were down due to repairs. A third basin wasn’t working properly, but it could have held water.  Shaw allegedly ordered the third basin off-line, despite knowing the torrential rain was on its way.  When the next shift took over, sources say, Shaw didn’t inform the workers that he took the third basin off line.  When the rains hit and started to cause back-up problems, the next shift sent water towards that third basin, not knowing it was off-line.

Raw sewage and a river: Not a good combination.

Sources say this action blew off a man-hole cover located by the nearby farm on Holmes Road, and the adjacent farm land was contaminated with raw sewage.  The only reason anything was reported to the EPA was that the sewage that made its way into the river went through a device that captured what happened.

Sources say the water department was told to report what happened to the EPA but only because of the monitoring. They were told not to tell the EPA about the farm land being contaminated. Who gave that order? Who made that decision? Shaw? Collingwood? Bianchi? Aunt Edna’s pet poodle?

THE PLANET has a request for comment into the mayor and commission Collingwood. Here are the questions we have asked them:

* Can you confirm and comment on the incident.
* Did you inform the EPA of the discharge into the river?
* Did you tell the EPA about the farm land?
* What will be done to rectify the situation?
* Will there be accountability?

THE PLANET is awaiting what shall most likely be the usual non-reponse. Meanwhile, the citizens of Pittsfield continue to pay the price for a part-time mayor who with each new day, with each new action, with each new inaction, drives the city closer to its fate with the wrecking ball.

———————— 00000000 ————————-

Coming Soon, a

THEATER REVIEW

By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE PLANET reviews The Berkshire Theatre Group‘s full-tilt production of Charles Ludlam‘s The Mystery of Irma Vep, starring Bill Bowers and Tom Hewitt.

New York Times’ Summer Stages Pick
by Charles Ludlam
directed by Aaron Mark
featuring Bill Bowers and Tom Hewitt

at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage, Stockbridge
Previews June 24-June 27
Press Opening/Opening Night: June 28
Talkback: June 30
Closing: July 19
Tickets: Preview: $42
A: $62 B: $52 C: $42

——– 000 ——–

(STOCKBRIDGE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2014) — What happens when Farce meets Theater of the Absurd meets Theater of the Ridiculous? And what occurs when you take this amalgam, throw in cross dressing, gender bending, a spooky dark mansion, a trio of monsters that would make the old Universal Studios proud, and give the nearly panicky script to a director and actors who “get” (no, “Get”) the heart of the play?

ANSWER: THE BTG’s current production of Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep — A Penny Dreadful, as pleasant a look at the oft-unpleasant of personal Identity as you will want to meet … or howl for.

The fun begins with the odd show title. “Irma Vep” is an anagram for “vampire,” while “a penny dreadful” refers to a kind of sensationalistic periodical fiction sold for a penny on cheap paper, popular in 19th century England.

We are already breathless. There’s a vampire, to be sure, plus a mummy (and the inevitable “mummy/mommy” puns) and a werewolf. There’s a lot of deliberately (and creatively) cheap camp that takes “penny dreadful” sensationalism, mainlines it with pure adrenaline, and feeds it coffee for the show’s 90 or so minutes.

BOWERS & HEWITT: All “Vep,” all the time. (Photos, Berkshire Theatre Group)

Director Mark Lane takes Ludlam’s precisely wild script and put his all, and the production’s all, into what we can best term “pace.” To act out this two-man exhale, Lane gives reign to two of the best, Tom Hewitt (playing Lady Enid, Nicodemus, and Alcazar) and actor/mime Bill Bowers (Lord Edgar, Jane, and An Intruder). Hewitt and Bowers pull off Ludlam-cum-Lane’s conception brilliantly. The pair play adeptly with Ludlam’s feverish dialogue, both actors suitably over-the-top — where they find the rim of the glass always rising just beyond their grasp (otherwise, what is a “reach” for?!)

Costumes (Wade Laboissonniere), lighting (Alan Edwards), and sound (Brendan Doyle) enhance the frenetic and fraught pacing, literally pulled off (and on) by Hewitt and Bowers with the flash-drive costume changes, near-perfect handling of the machine-gun dialogue, and tizzied body language (particularly Bowers).

Set designer Randall Parsons takes a literal approach, rendering the interior of Mandacrest with a cartoonish believability. Perfect touch, as is his stylized renderings of “various places in Egypt.”

The only down side to this romp is that it ended.

———————————————————————————————-

“Yet still in me with those soft luxuries / Mixed something of a stern mood, an underthirst / Of vigour seldom utterly allayed: / And from that source how different a sadness / Would issue, let one incident be made known.”William Wordsworth, opening to “Crossing the Alps,” (1850).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

 

 

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Teecha teecha
Teecha teecha
9 years ago

http://www.iberkshires.com/story/46867/From-the-Corner-Office-Conversation-with-Mayor-Bianchi.html

The last question refers to the river cleanup. The picture of him farting into the phone is worth a look see. Such transparency with the media. The whole interview seems staged.

dusty
dusty
Reply to  Teecha teecha
9 years ago

In this article the mayor says that the new school will be the cornerstone of economic development for the city. That is some top level spin right there.

Are we doing away with the arts?

Shakes His Head
Shakes His Head
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

I guess Pittsfield doesn’t need to spend any more money on Streetscapes or the 9 million dollar parking deck rehab, or developing the former GE site.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

Yeah but you can’t learn technological crap in the new scho thy did away with those programs but who’s really using a computer or engineering stuff these days anyways.

joetaxpayer
joetaxpayer
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

Dusty, I guess Holmes Rd. is not the only place raw sewage is being released to the public.

Spider
Spider
9 years ago

This raw sewage incident calls for action (for once) by our City Council.

You bet we will be fined by the EPA. More money from already beleaguered taxpayers and NO HEADS WILL ROLL!

How much more has to happen (I..e. Water Dept. scandal, stealing from within city depts., money missing from PHS) before our City Council has the balls to do something…..ANYTHING?

Silence Dogood
Silence Dogood
9 years ago

I hear Bianchi is interviewing Ed Norton from the “Honey Mooners”

Silence Dogood
Silence Dogood
Reply to  Silence Dogood
9 years ago
dusty
dusty
Reply to  Silence Dogood
9 years ago

How did someone with integrity get an interview?

rainy day
rainy day
9 years ago

The EPA could impose fines of $1 – 2 million dollars for this incompetency. However, lying to them, withholding information and covering up may skyrocket the fines to $100 to 200 million plus cleanup costs.

There will be no consent decree ripoff deal with the EPA.

The people’s taxes can be raised by 50 to 75 percent.
This administration is by far the worst ever.
The city council is a joke.
Best thing to do is sell your house, (if you can find a sucker to buy it) and get the hell out of Pittsfield.

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
9 years ago

Dan, not the first time that manhole has popped it’s lid. It happens often.

I remember, in the past, seeing an arroyo of soiled TP and tampoons leading right down to the river.

When the river was high, then receded the trees looked like some kind of “demented Christmas decoration” or a Halloween prank; Thank You $#!tsfield Water dept.and TES for your foul spoor.

Mike Ward
Mike Ward
9 years ago

I’ve seen the leftover crust from spills there too, Mad Trapper.

Thanks Dan — this is one of those stories that wouldn’t normally see the light of day.

levitan
levitan
9 years ago

Another strike of black gold. This is rich.

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

Hey, this is the stuff the Clampetts were made famous!

Robin
Robin
9 years ago

Agree with earlier post, council must act. I drove down to the Holmes Rd area, the farm and water plant. An eco disaster, a major story.Must be consequences & accountability for once.

dusty
dusty
9 years ago

I will bet 100 lira that Julie is not answering any questions regarding any sewage spills in Pittsfield or New Delhi.

levitan
levitan
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

“What spill? How should I know which spill you’re talking about?”

Scott
Scott
Reply to  dusty
9 years ago

Dusty, “obviously”!

BOC
BOC
9 years ago

Don’t worry, once the city managers get their retroactive pay raises nothing like this will even happen again!

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
Reply to  BOC
9 years ago

They need the extra salary to attract “qualified” applicants for these important positions, like the new Highway Super. It’s not easy finding someone who finished High school in Pittsfield

dusty
dusty
Reply to  Mad Trapper
9 years ago

Well the good news is that once the new economic engine high school is built everyone will be graduating and we will be overrun with honor students on their way to Ivy league schools. The whole concept makes my heart sing.

NATO
NATO
9 years ago

These leaders are the best money can buy, next!

Model Citizen
Model Citizen
9 years ago

DV why no reporting of the police informant/heroin dealer story? D.A. Clueless and the regional police departments also deserve more scutiny from the press and media especially with all of the crime happening in our area.
Time and time again we see troubling verdicts in our courts and how law enforcement handles “incidents” with connected people. This behavior reduces the faith in local government.

b_ball8
b_ball8
Reply to  danvalenti
9 years ago

Dan – not defending eagle, but there was a front page piece on the story MC refers to in Sunday’s edition. It is a major problem. At least brought the issue / case to forefront again, if not for a day or week.

Model Citizen
Model Citizen
Reply to  b_ball8
9 years ago

Yes there were two different stories about this troubled man’s demise. His family and friends say he was a confidential reliable informant for the Berkshire County drug task force and was aloud to use and deal heroin himself in exchange for fingering other individuals.
Several NY newspapers state that he was kidnapped here in Massachussetts and later executed in NYC. The Berkshire Eagle omitted the kidnapping part in their coverage of the story. Of course local law enforcement claim no responsibility for his death. Surely there has to be some accountability.

Spider
Spider
9 years ago

From what I am hearing, the nearby residents are concerned about a possible health risk with the raw sewage.

Question: Is our local Health Dept. involved or are they another “do nothing” group like our mayor and city council?

Joe Blow
Joe Blow
9 years ago

Dan, I just wanted to thank you for investigating and bringing these stories to the public. The work you do on this blog and your show are a true public service!

Joe Blow
Joe Blow
9 years ago

How much money was missing from the water department and what is the statute of limitations on fraud? I wonder if you could get a comment from D.A. Capeless on why these crimes went unprosecuted. The records and evidence should still exist unless they pulled a Lois Lerner and recycled the hard drives.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
9 years ago

PAY RAISES ALERT!
* Massachusetts District Attorneys will receive a 15% pay raise or nearly $23k more per year for a total of $171,561 per year.
* Massachusetts 14 Sheriffs will get a 23 percent pay increase for a total of $151,709 per year.
* Massachusetts Trial Court Judges will receive a 23% pay raise or $30k more per year for a total of $160,000 per year.
Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski are paying for Massachusetts D.A.’s, Sheriffs, and Judges pay raises in Fiscal Year 2015.

Sillence Dogood
Sillence Dogood
Reply to  danvalenti
9 years ago

is it true that massachusetts judges, who are employed by the state, do not contribute to the massachusetts retirement system none the less draw a state pension upon retirement?

PittsFIELD BELIEVER
PittsFIELD BELIEVER
9 years ago

[THIS POST IS REDACTED. POSTER IS WARNED TO STICK TO RELEVANT INFORMATION.]

Richard
Richard
Reply to  PittsFIELD BELIEVER
9 years ago

Lay off the booze Allen

Teecha teecha
Teecha teecha
Reply to  PittsFIELD BELIEVER
9 years ago

Romney lost to Clinton?

Harrison
Harrison
Reply to  PittsFIELD BELIEVER
9 years ago

Dan, you should redact the above post

Mr. X
Mr. X
9 years ago

PB…thanks for finally speaking out…I personally prefer the grape flavored kool-aid

Mr. X
Mr. X
9 years ago

PB…thanks for finally speaking out…I personally prefer the grape flavored kool-aid

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

We’re getting these state workers for cheap, some of the pensions are 100g a year minimum.

Nota
Nota
9 years ago

The Tri County Health Monitor, Jim Willuts, wants everyone going to restaurants to eat less glutonous. I was looking at a couple of these new hires, one in particular in the school system who is under a big contract, which our taxpayers float,maybe these new hires with the big contracts should adhere to Willuts advice and be required to get into shape.

Sillence Dogood
Sillence Dogood
9 years ago

Jim Willuts????????????????