!UPDATE! PV-TV LIVE TONIGHT ON CH. 16!! … THE BB, MAYOR BIsnowCHI BLOW IT AGAIN AS MEGASTORM FIZZLES … plus … MAZZEO RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS ON CONNELL’S PETITION … RIP, MONBO
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
THURSDAY< JAN. 29 < ON THE FLY — It’s been a hectic morning and afternoon here on THE PLANET, as we are in Elvis mode, TCB (takin’ care of business). Yes, PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION will be on the air tonight beginning at 7 p.m. from the PCTV studios, channel 16 on your Time Warner dial. We hope you will join us there, so we can catch up on things. Rebroadcasts of PV-TV will be at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 11 p.m. tomorrow. Life is good.
One quick thought before we go. If it isn’t a crime, if should be, given the taxes people pay in Pittsfield. The side streets in the city are still a mess. The “gigantic” four inches of snow just added to the misery. Basically, the city has been ignoring many of the tributaries all winter. For example, Elizabeth Street (or is it Avenue?), which runs north-south parallel to South Street on the South’s west side, has clumps of snow covering hard-pans of ice. When you come down George Street and try to break, good luck — unless you’re going 2 mph — your chariot is going to slide right into the intersection with Elizabeth. Buel, Henry, and the other sliver-roads off of Elizabeth are just as bad. Same with many of the side streets off of Onota. There’s no excuse except, “I have no excuse.” Add it up to another failure of The Bianchi Administration. The mayor is great with snow jobs. He cannot handle snow. Prayers are in for der Wuderbarrett.
——– 000 ——–
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28, 2015) — The heaps of scorn sounding from the broadsides and the narrow have been falling heavily, and THE PLANET loves it.
They fall the idiot weather forecasters and the moronic Big Brothers of local government who heartily embraced the One Size Fits All determination that a snowstorm of “historic dimensions’ would bury the Commonwealth, including Berkshire County and Pittsfield, into the next day of oblivion.
Like we’ve never seen snow before. In January. In New England.
Given today’s 24/7 newscycle and the desperate competition for attention, viewers, and readers, weather is money, and the mainstream media’s complicity in remaking a few snowflakes into an avalanche gives us yet more reason to dismiss their ravings.
Only we didn’t get three feet. Or two. Or one. Make it more like four — inches.
Stop the friggin’ presses. Save the women and children. Remain calm.
Mayor Dan Bisnowchi Has Met His Match
“Snowmageddon” The Boring Broadsheet fulminated in its ugly sans serif typeface. See, The BB bought into it. Why? To sell papers. As for the other moron, Mayor Dan Bisnowchi, he, too, hit the panic button, declaring martial law in Pittsfield and shutting down all public and private sector operations. Three winters now have proven that when the snow falls, the shit flies for The Empty Suit. TES clearly doesn’t know how to handle snow, else why is it that the side streets have been nearly unpassable all winter. Paging John Barrett.
We have become Weather Wimps. The Berkshires, once home of rugged individualism, have given in to “Save Me From Myself.” Worse still, we have made this appeal to Inept Government.
In honor of the “hysteric” storm, we present this verse:
——– 000 ——–
LOSING ONE’S MIND ON A SNOWY EVENING
By FROSTY ROBERT
Whose snow this is I think I know.
I’m staying in the village, though.
I am become a Weather Wimp
because I’ve learned to fear the snow.
//
My little dog must think it queer
to panic from a snowfall here.
He gives his puzzled a head a shake
to ask if there is some mistake.
//
The snow is scary, barbed, and white
and I will stay up all night
if I don’t first die of fright.
If I don’t first die of fright.
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Mazzeo: Connell Can Have Petition on Agenda ‘If He Still Wants It’
Council president Melissa Mazzeo got back to us on our questions regarding councilor Chris Connell‘s petition calling for the mayor to rescind his Administrative Order to restructure the DPW. That measure passed by default when the council failed to act on it within the 60-day timeframe.
MELISSA MAZZEO (Berkshire Eagle Photo)
After confirming Connell had submitted such a petition, Mazzeo said it “will go on our next agenda if he [Connell] still wants it. Not every item in the clerk’s office at that time goes on the agenda the following week. Some things need more time. Chris and I spend a lot of time setting the agenda, and some items are not time sensitive. Others need more information and get held until ready.”
Was there an argument between her and Connell over the rescind petition?
“As for your ‘peeps’ trying to listen in on other peoples’ conversations,” Mazzeo said, “I can see why the stories are never fully accurate.”
THE PLANET‘s “peeps” are sources within city hall, people who work there who relay information. We don’t have people “trying to listen in on other people’s conversations.” When two people get into a shouting match, though, and people are walking by the door or in proximity, the walls get mighty thin.
We do thank Madame President for responding to our questions. Oh, and did you notice that she didn’t refute the report of a heated argument with Connell? Looks like we were again accurate in our reporting.
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Rest In Peace, Monbo
One of THE PLANET‘s favorite all-timers passed away this week. We speak of former Boston Red Sox ace Bill Monbouquette. Monbo was the anchor of the Sox pitching staff in the years when they were perennial second-division denizens, the late 1950s to mid-60s.
BILL MONBOUQUETTE: 17Ks
Monbouquette, a Red Sox 20-game winner, author of a no-hitter, and four-time All-Star who spent more than 50 years in professional baseball, passed away on Sunday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston due to complications from leukemia. The Red Sox Hall of Famer, inducted in 2000, was 78.
Monbouquette spent the first eight seasons of his 11-year major league career with Boston from 1958-65. His 96 wins with the Red Sox are surpassed by only six other players in club history. Affectionately known as “Monbo,” he was a frequent visitor to Fenway Park in his later years.
Signed by Boston after graduating from Medford High School in 1955, the right-hander debuted for his hometown Red Sox as a 21-year-old just three years later in 1958. He was selected to start for the American League All-Stars in 1960.
As a member of the Red Sox, he led the team in victories three times (1960, 1962, 1963). He did not miss a start in six consecutive seasons from 1960-65, starting at least 30 games each year. In that time, Monbouquette was one of the most effective pitchers in the American League, ranking second in starts (203), complete games (65), and innings pitched (1,416.0), and third in wins (86) and strikeouts (852).
In a 2-1 win on May 12, 1961, Monbouquette struck out 17 Washington Senators, a then-club record that has since been reached by only Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. On August 1, 1962, he pitched a 1-0 no-hitter in Chicago against the White Sox. In 1963, he won a career-best 20 games and struck out 174 batters while walking only 42.
As a Red Sox player, he was a regular supporter of the Jimmy Fund and frequently visited young children receiving cancer treatment, originally at the urging of teammate Ted Williams. When his battle with leukemia began in 2007, Monbouquette was treated at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which saved his life with a stem cell transplant in 2008.
Monbouquette closed out his playing career with stints for the Detroit Tigers (1966-67), New York Yankees (1967-68), and San Francisco Giants (1968), and he finished with a lifetime 114-112 record and a 3.68 ERA.
He spent the next 38 years as a scout and coach with the Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Tigers, including a major league position as the Mets’ pitching coach in 1982 and 1983. He retired from baseball after serving as pitching coach for a sixth straight season in the Tigers system in 2005.
Born and raised in Medford, MA, he lived there until moving to Gloucester, MA in recent years.
Rest in Peace, Monbo.
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“It was like for a moment, O my brothers, some great bird had flown into the milbar, and I felt all the malenky little hairs on my plott stranding endwise and the shivers crawling up like slow, malenky lizards and then down again.” — Alex, from Stanley Kubrick‘s A Clockwork Orange, (1972).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Frosty Robert,
The Venerini Sisters and especially Sister Angela Maria are loving your poetry. Pittsfield, MY WINTER WONDERLAND.
I’m not buying Melissa’s explanation. It’s flawed on a number of levels.
First of all, in my three years as a councilor I’ve never seen an item submitted by a councilor be considered to “need more time”. More time to what, age like wine? Secondly, “Need more information”? Like polling other Councilors to see how they will vote (OML violation)?
Finally, let me cut to the chase…if the Council votes to ask the Mayor to rescind the administrative order, it pressures the Mayor. Some don’t want to put him in that situation. If the Council doesn’t vote to ask him to rescind the order, they look like they don’t care about process.
Do you now see why this was held? Looks like someone is scrambling for an answer.
Barry
Could it be that she got an opinion from KD?
The whole reason this problem arose in the first place is pushing off the time-sensative decision on DPW.
This new default rule should be taken out of the city charter.
If the cueball does not touch the eight ball its considered a scratch. Winning by default is not truly winning by skill. Name your pocket before you shoot. That is skill.
Sounds fishy for sure. How sad it is what politics and hanging around the wrong crowd can do to a person.
And the mayor should not feel pressured to do the right thing. If he had any morals he would have done this himself instead of dragging everyone else into his web of deception. One little fib has to lead to another and another until it is obvious, even to a blind man, that someone is pulling a fast one.
Thank you Councilor Clairmont for your honesty and clarity. I agree that a petition from a councilor is not held for ‘more information’. I appreciate your efforts to honest and open government and Councilor Clairmont’s too, I only hope your colleagues force this to be on the next agenda and that as DV says vote on it.
The Taxpayers are fed up with this whole sleazebag administration, and all the assholes tied to him.
Walls are thin……
I could hear Melissa yelling at Chris all the way from 100 North Street.
I bet Chris or none of the other councilors will ever even think about going on the DV show again. See what open discussion brings on ya? Let’s get back to the shadows where it is safe.
I’d go on again. Chris said he would as well.
Barry
that is what i was hoping to hear. Any chance any others would consider it or do they feel the need to play it safe?
because when they don’t it kind of seems like they are afraid of the mayor and that would just be sad
Whenever a public candidate in public office makes an appearance on a show such as Dan’s, they run the risk of being criticised.
Nixon lost to JFK because the public loved John’s appearance on TV.
Overall I think Chris Connell’s appearance on PVTV gave him a huge boost in the public eye.
If you get easily offended at what people think and say about you, you shouldn’t be in politics.
Barry has boosted his favor the same.
Bianchi has buried himself in the shadows “where its safe”.
What a relief it will be when he’s gone.
Ruberto was not afraid of Dan Valenti.
Even Melissa has done herself a favor by not shunning Dan.
The funniest thing I saw during SnowMaggedon in Pittsfield was channel 10’s field reporter standing at Park Square claiming that, “Despite having plows out all day, the snow has been so intense here that the roads are still covered in snow and ice.” No dear, if you had bothered to drive a few miles north, you would have seen that once you hit the Lanesboro line, the roads were pavement, no snow, no ice. The ‘intense’ storm didn’t cause Pittsfield’s woes, it was the fact that this city still can’t manage a snow storm, even a small one.
Say we got hit with two or even three feet. So what, goo grief!
Bianchi spent all the snow plowing/road maintenance money for this year on the move to 100 North Street.
So, its better just to declare Martial Law and shut down the city and keep people locked up in their homes.
Spend money, lockdown, censorship……
Its how he operates.
Council Prez should be well aware of OML. Remember, she filed a complaint axing her fellow partners without asking then ahead of time for clarification. Someone should file a OML violation ‘for polling’ votes ahead of time. Chris, your starting to finally separate yourself from these two clowns so don’t stop now. The City is watching and is very upset. Come November, there’s an enema coming to town….
There sure is.
Dan, is it even legal to restrict citizens ability to move freely within the “free” state of mASSachusetts?
What law is invoked for this “state of emergency” (a.k.a. hysteria)?
And what are the criteria used to determine an “emergency?
The sky is falling? The big bad wolf?
Seems we have yet another Goobbernor who thinks anything west of rt 128 is the wilderness and/or eastern New York.
Everyone knows the reason why Mellissa does not want this petition back in front of the council is because she was the one who orchestrated creating the 60 day delay making Collingswood and Bianchi’s plan work without approval from her own council members. Maybe that was the reason for the argument between her and Connell. Quite frankly Mellissa purposely pulled the wool over Connell’s eyes because he made the mistake of trusting her.
I contend any yes any storm, no matter how epic, how historic; hell even biblical would pale in comparison to those snow jobs originating on Allen Street. no coincidence that there is a large ski industry here and that North Street sidewalks always have a full complement of snow and ice.
just sayin
Check out the icy sidewalk on South Street To North at West, been like that every winter for years.
There is another snowstorm on the way.
Maybe Bianchi will call in the national guard and the army.
Lockdown!
Stock up on bottled water and bread.
It will illegal to drive a car.
“The sky is falling”
“The sky is falling”
– Chicken Little
So the city wants to replace the Columbus Ave. parking deck with a 3 level structure.The present one was designed that way. There are tie-in plates on top of the columns to be exposed to add a top deck. I know because I put them there at Unistress. Now they say the structure is falling apart. If that be the case, it appears that building a garage out of concrete is a bad investment if it will last only 40 years or so. As with propping up the library with toothpics or closing off a deck, we have the same scenario. Condemn it till we get what we want. I guess if you tell lies often enough, the voters will believe you.
Perhaps Mazzeo is pissed cuz CC openly decided to do Planet TV with her arch rival BC. He then was honest on TV and openly stated he would put the petition in. He went against the grain and now the anti-GOB is mad.
Lots going down here. I think Connell came across as his own man on DV show. Mazzeo? In way over her head. Mayor is controlling her.
Snow”storm” all I know is if I had a business I’d be soooo upset. Basically Bianchi (or Bisnowchi hilarious!) ordered private businesses to close to kept their customers of fthe road. It’s all BS.
The administration will be on the recving end of that enema. Cant wait to pull levers in Sept and Nov.
Took lunch in a local pub today (not a liquid lunch, though!) where the bartender claimed that the staties pulled over three Stop & Shop workers who traveled in to work (seperately) yesterday and fined them each $500. She said she came in to work via route 7 yesterday and it hadn’t been plowed because it DIDN’T NEED IT. I heard that Rite Aid was open during the ban, and that led us to wondering what the law is, and if pharmacists are considered essential workers. If not, what about in a large rural county like Berkshire, where we have one hospital that potentially could have been impossible to get to, had it really been a Snowmageddon—is it required that a pharmacy be open?
I was wondering why the plow Boyz were looking at me funny. wasit a ban or not?
Fedex was delivering on my street at around 10 in the morning. Somehow I doubt a new rice cooler from amazon was an essential delivery.
Did you look at the wording of the exemptions to the ban? My read was that the the Wonder bread route driver (husband of a co-worker) was OK since Groceries, pharmacies, prepared food establishments and gas stations among others were considered essential services and that driver was delivering essential product to an essential service.
I have a BMC 3rd shifter in the house, happened to have the night off anyway, I would have had no issue driving him to work and back in the banned time zone as I was providing services to someone on that essential list, which was allowed. I also have a good 4WD vehicle and know how to use it. If I got a citation, I’d have gracefully accepted it and challenged later on as is my right.
I would not have argued with the officer, but would have, if given an opportunity, explained my reasoning.
I, personally, was irratated that I had a mandated day off (with pay, thankfully) love to ski and could not find a way to fit a drive to an open area within the essential’s list!
Sparkie
You hit it right on the head.This is how it works in city hall .These guys were bitchers from the sidelines for years.then when given the chance to lead and pick qualified experienced leaders with a proven track record for making things get done like Barrett. They go with what has been a failure from the start.
Vote Yes,Vote No,Vote!
Just remember one thing, politicians tell you what you want to hear until they get in.
Meanwhile the out of control hiring and spending continues for the school department. We now have a deputy Superintendent for the schools.
Yes, a nationwide search was had and lo and behold!!!! We hire someone from PPS!
Was the search committee looking for a leader or a follower? I mean if you want to work for this administration there is a protocol to adhere to. I think the oath of office starts with “I will do as I am told….
Are Dan and the twins going to be live tonight?
Second place for the administration search was the door at the Mercer administration bldg.
How kool is that Missy D Prez is a stickler for accuracy with the Planet . For her responses though why let bullshit get in the way of facts to show off your Ebonics and rapping skills to the Peeps.
Even though the city hasn’t been plowing the city is putting extra effort at giving citations to the elderly for not shoveling. Doesn’t seem right…maybe they are also fining themselves(er us) as a new tax,ha,ha
Exactly right, Planet about the lousy job of handling snow in Pittsfield, worst I’ve ever seen. Thank you Mayor Bonehead.
I agree. They kept people off the roads so they could plow it and gee guys…not such a great job two days later. I don’t think it is the drivers though because they just were not out there and if they were not called in the problem lies higher up.
GReat point, D. They declare Martial Law to they can clean the streets. Two days later, and you’re on one of the side streets, and you’re wondering what the heck they did with all that time. Snow removal, by all measures, is the worst in memory and probably the worst ever.
Mayor Idiot keeps racking up the Biggest Loser points by the day. Collingswood must have should have a demerit in pay for Piss poor performance and lack of leadership.
In Pittsfield “poor performance and lack of leadership” merits a pay raise — which They gave themselves without You The Private Citizen having a say in it. Time to put an end to this loser administration.
For the life of me I can not see why North Adams, Adams, Lenox, Lee, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Dalton, all 30 towns in Berkshire County use these newer commercial snow clearing machines to clean, clear and remove snow from the downtown area and Pittsfield with the same machine uses it to clear a path along Route 7 upper North Street along Pontoosuc Lake ( which would be State responsibility ? ) and not use this equipment along the entire stretch of North Street from BMC to Berkshire Life on South Street. For the life of me I can not understand why Sheriff’s Dep’t or District Court Community Service or city workers can not be used for this purpose.
The administration is disfunctional…Is driving allowed today?
Please bring back JBIII
I’m sure there may be good contractors clearing Pitts. streets in their pick-up trucks, but the one assigned to this area is quite deficient. He routinely hits and destroys the curbing, rips up the grass on the tree line ( some residents have put red stakes outlining their property), plows mounds onto private property, and has gone 5 ft. off the street to hit and bend a street sign.
All this, at what $85 per hr ? Aways he makes multiple unecessary passes, last time eleven, at least two with his plow up. But again at what the city pays by the hour, why hurry or kill the the job ?
That sounds the same for the driver on my street. We call him round and round. He comes onto our street from another and goes round and round up the street..ignoring the bottom half of the street.then disappears.
I just read a comment by a city plow guy (who has since deleted his comments) that the city is being plowed by 12 guys working in shifts, and that he’s out plowing on 4 hours of sleep.
When I responded “I was thinking about this, what’s changed since past years? Cause this year seems like we’ve had less snow than others and the roads are in worse condition. Are you more understaffed than other years? Less outside contractors in play? Sorry you’re working your ass off and getting so much grief.”
He got a little cranky and offered to take extra care of my street as long as I left my car parked in the middle of the street.
I chose not to respond, I don’t want to fight a guy on no sleep… Or really to fight at all. But it leaves me wondering… Are we really depending on 12 guys to clear all of Pittsfield? If so, how the heck can they do a good job on 4 hours of sleep? Isn’t that dangerous?
Kathy,
Under the JBIII method, as I understand it, we utilized all the equipment we had (and employees), no matter what department they worked for, to get the job done.
Example, the water department had their own plows. The parks department has certain responsibility.
That method has been abandoned, as I understand it. Now, only the road guys plow the roads. When the parks guys are done with the parks, they go home.
Barry
Thanks Barry,
And it shows. The plow guy has since apologized (poor guy is exhausted). This new method is clearly not working.
What’s changed? Is JBIII really the difference? Who replaced him? Why are we recreating the wheel? When the Mayor responded to my last complaint about the snow and dangerous conditions on North Street, 1/3 of the street showed some work then nothing else happened.
I haven’t been out for a few days (flu eeew) but my street hasn’t been clear of snow pack (no plow yet today) in weeks. This is in stark contrast to years past when I could watch guys working the clock by keeping it immaculate. (it’s a dead end street with maybe 20 houses on it)
We need a happy medium which in my estimation means an active and competent manager.
Kathy,
In my opinion, much of what this administration does is to try and undo the things implemented by the prior administration.
There was an attempt to rescind 40U. There was the administrative order to set up DPW the way it was before John Barrett’s re-organization. Kathy Degan who was fired by Ruberto was hired by this administration. Ruberto wouldn’t play ball with Spectrum, this administration rolled over and payed them $100,000. There was an attempt to undo the Ordinance on hawkers and peddlers.
There was such disdain (in my opinion) between Ruberto and Bianchi that I truly believe many of the things this administration has done was just to reverse anything Ruberto did, no matter how much sense it made.
I’d like to know others take on this.
Barry
Barry Clairmont….Disgusted sums it up. Frustration that this Mayor is such an aloof arrogant bastard.
“Competent management.” That’s the key. Under the present mayor, there is precious little.
Thanks, BC. Some good info here. What about the council doing an investigation, calling in some witnesses, and airing this out in public session. It’s a public safety issue. It’s not a stretch to say that the sloppy job could cost lives.
KATHY
You chose the right path, not to chase the negativity coming from the guy. You are right, though. Less snow this year and worse road conditions. What’s going on? There needs to be an investigation. The council could and should initiate one and get the poor Citizens and Taxpayers of the city some answers.
The city is not required to plow and salt the roads in a timely manner. There is no consequences for city neglect.
You on the other hand are mandated by law to clear the walks in front of your house or pay a fine.
Get a 4 wheel drive vehicle if you feel the need to drive on public roads. For goodness sake, do not drive during a snow storm lockdown. Or pay a stiff fine.
Monies collected for fines are not used to clear the streets but are instead used for whatever Bianchi damn well pleases. It adds to free cash.
Nobody likes the Plow GUy’s, it’s a thankless job sometimes.
Perhaps this is the mayors way of getting back at his haters. Well, that and ever increasing taxes.
I see lots of potholes already. Can you imagine what the already poor roads are going to look like late March. Thank god all the money went to fixing up parks so we can sit in them and watch the vehicles bounce up and down shedding hubcaps.
Personally, I like watching the guy crash his hand propelled model airplane while kids are practicing at Clapp Park.
Barry:
It is my opinion that you have some valid points about one administration undoing what the previous administration has put in place.
Whether you liked Ruberto or Barrett you’ll have to admit that the winter that Barrett was running the show (The worst winter in 20 yrs.) the roads and sidewalks were in much better condition. Barrett’s philosophy of “All Hands On Deck” doing the most with the resources he had and “Customer Service” were good ways to handle the winter storms. Pre-treat and Keep Up with the storm worked very well, so why the Mayor let the DPW go back to their old ways is beyond me. I hope it was not because of the personalities involved.
North Street is a awful, snow back so high that you can’t get over them. I fell on Union Street trying as I tried to get into MadMac’s.
I am at a loss why the Mayor has let this winter get so out of hand. I thought that the Mayor had a handle on the DPW, very disappointing. I am worried that it will be your fellow councilors who will pay the price at the next election period. The public will blame you folks for the poor road conditions. Just my opinion!
This morning a city snow fighter made a couple of passes through my area and spread salt. By noon all the roads in the area were bare and wet…looking good. About two o’clock a contracted plow truck went up and down and up and down and up and down no less than 9 times. My driveway had been shoveled and after all the contractor passes there was nothing added into the end of my driveway. So I am not sure what he was doing out there. Perhaps he was looking for a lost dog or something. .
Can the city council call Collingwood or whoever is in charge these days, before the council to ask for some clarification on the plowing methodology? Do you think Melissa would allow it?