WHEN WINTER BRINGS A SNOW JOB INSTEAD OF SNOW HANDLING, THE WHITE STUFF PILES HIGHER THAN THE S**T
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18, 2015) — The winter of 2015 didn’t roll in until about mid-January. Prior to then, The Berkshires — particularly Pittsfield, the county seat — received a handful of nuisance snowfalls with temperatures seasonal or warmer. That all changed when the Polar Vortex escaped from its hiding place in the corner office and brought lots of snow and cold. The snow accumulated. The cold kept it from melting.
Through it all, when the snows fell, Pittsfield mayor Dan “Flurries” Bianchi acted like Lawrence Talbot with the coming of the full moon or Pete Carroll on 2nd-and-1 with one timeout and the best running back in the NFL to win the frigging Super Bowl. Talbot turned into a monster. Carroll choked. Bianchi turned into a monstrous choker. “Flurries” OKd the Bruce Collingwood‘s appointment of a water department employee who obviously knows nothing about snow handling, allowing the streets over the course of several storms to deteriorate into un-sanded, little plowed, ice sheets.
A Private Snow-Plow Contractor Spills the Beans
Since THE PLANET, alone among local media, has been raising our own storm of outrage on behalf of the bedraggled Little Guy, there have been a couple of notable developments. Unofficially but more importantly, we have been in communication with one of the contract snow plowers hired by the city to deal with the white stuff.
Here is his testimony:
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“I have been a private plow contractor for over 10 years. Over the course of the 10 years, I have seen many changes. I can tell you the problems this year come from putting the wrong person at the helm. The new person in charge of highway (I forgot his name) is from the water and sewer department and little to no snow removal experience. [ED NOTE: His name is Kevin Swail; his title is superintendent, highway division, Department of Public Services].
“Also the dispatcher is new (Janice) with no experience and a bad attitude. Last storm we were called out (2/14/2015) at 9:00 PM and called in at 1:30 AM because she was tired and wanted to go home. I expected a call out in the morning yet there was none. There was more snow on my road at 10:00 AM than at 9:00 PM the previous night, when we were called in for snow removal.
“There seems to be no consistency in when they call us out this year. I don’t know for sure why but I assume its inexperience. Tom Foody and Joe Cimini are very capable of doing their jobs in the department, but they answer to someone that has no idea how to handle snow and ice removal from the city streets.
“Everything that John Barrett put in place has gone away. I see lots of inefficiency and money spent poorly this year. I prefer to stay behind the scenes due to repercussions. I am happy to provide information, but I thank you in advance for keeping me anonymous.
Thank you for being the voice of the little people.
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Parsing the Words of the Plow Jockey
Our correspondent, whom we shall call Z-15, reveals much in this communication. THE PLANET has checked out this information with other trusted (and frustrated) sources with the city public works operation. They, too, have asked for anonymity because of fear of reprisals. Hereis what we can glean from Z-15’s courageous post:
(1) Problem #1. Fear.
Fear of whistle blowing.
This is the one of the most egregious scandals of local government. In the ranks of both city employees and private citizens, there is a palpable, well-founded fear of speaking out for fear of political reprisal. This is criminal. It has made the residents of the city hostage to the whims of political bullies. THE PLANET isn’t saying anything about a run for office, but we know one thing: If we were foolish enough to run for mayor and win, we would devote an enormous amount of effort to reverse this culture of political terrorism that grips so much of official and communal Pittsfield.
(2) Z-15 has a decade of experience. This gives him the credibility offered by perspective over time and experience doing the job.
(3) He confirms that under the changes instituted by John Barrett, hired by Mayor Jimmy Ruberto to straighten out a scandal-plagued department, Public Services was running in a much more efficient way.
(4) He confirms that Bianchi has undone all of Barrett’s reforms. This has politicized all of the city public services. Snow is not a consequenvce of Mother Nature to be dealt with rationally as and by adults. Rather, it is, like everything else, a political phenomenon to be exploited for personal gain. Thank you, Mayor Bianchi.
(5) Z-15 confirms what many have said since he was booted from the scandal-plagued Water Department (mis-dealings in which he may have very well have played a key role) and promoted to Public Services, that he doesn’t have a clue.
(6) Foody and Cimini, two well-respected public servants, have to chaff under the iron thumb of a bunch of clueless overlords and bosses, beginning with the mayor.
PLANET Embarrasses Mayor Into Snow Response
Mayor Bianchi, owing solely to the coverage given to “snow” by THE PLANET and the request by talk meister Bill Sturgeon, has been embarrassed into issuing a “snow policy.” However too little, too late, this is what passes for progress in Pittsfield.
The mayor has asked that anyone who wished to report “problem spots” with the roads and sidewalks due to the city’s inadequacy to handle snow to call his office at 413-499-9321. THE PLANET urges everyone to flood the mayor’s offices with calls and e-mails (address below).
Here is the text of the corner office’s press release, courtesy of Sturgeon:
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This is what passes for progress in the land of Benigno Numine. According to Bianchi, that’s Latin for “Why Should I Give a Rat’s Ass.”
——————————————————————————————–
“You made my cry when you said goodbye. Ain’t that a shame? You’re the one to blame.” — Fats Domino (1950s) and Cheap Trick (1980s), “Ain’t That a Shame.”
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Why would we need to go directly to the mayors office for a snow problem? Is it because his phone will not be busy? Shouldn’t this call be directed to the department that handles (is suppose to handle) the problem? Is someone manning this phone 24/7 and on weekends? Can we expect a sympathetic response or a growling, snarling, “we are doing the bet we can” answer? And really, does someone need to call the mayor and tell them the streets need plowing? Doesn’t he have to go down north street to get to his Global office? For the roads to be as bad as they have been this winter you would almost have to be doing it on purpose.
Maybe what we need is a consultant to look over the situation and tell us that we need a new state of the art city garage and all new sand and plow trucks. Maybe it is already in the design stage.
I would think the mayor or whomever is suppose to be in charge of snow removal would be getting some feedback from public vehicle drivers such as the police, fire dept, ambulances, taxis, bus drivers, ticket writers and water dept. If none of these people are having problems then I apologize for my criticism of the road conditions.
I will tell you what. The City Government is responsible for spending Taxpayer monies. It is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE what has gone on in this City. The excuses and bullshit are over. Dan Bianchi is polarizing everything and everyone. Taxpayers are not going to be intimidated by this loser. The incompetence is staggering, and the buck stops at his door. Every single Councilman has a seat at OUR Table, and the back door huddle in the Chambers better come out Straight Up,….and heads not only need to roll…People need to be fired. Bianchi and Collingwood better get it together,…and Bianchi’s Superintendent needs to lose his job.
In today’s Eagle, the Mayor says it doesn’t make sense to come before the Council and explain what went wrong after this last snow storm and what is going to be done to fix the issues. Is he right?
Barry
Mayor Bianchi has an attitude that he is not Accountable to anyone. He loathes anyone who dares stand up to him. Again, it is Unacceptable to the Citizens of Pittsfield. And, there are No excuses for the lack of safety….and epic fail. None. It’s time to accept Responsibility for the failure….and put measures in place to turn it around.
“It doesn’t make sense”
Translation:
“I don’t want to hear about it”
That sounds like something that would come out of the mouth of someone who is afraid of the stark reality that he has failed again.
And Collingwood was quoted as saying he was doing the best he could. If that is the case then the city needs to dump his inefficient ass and get someone who can do better. It should be a short search not needing to go country wide.
All of the mayors people who drive into Pittsfield from all other towns with their nicely plowed roads should whisper in his ear that he really should man up and get the job done. He cannot lie his way out of this one because everyone can see the epic failure of snow removal in Pittsfield.
Of course Bianchi is not right! He is ultimately responsible.
I would say a petition be in order to revoke pay raises until merit ratings are in place to deserve an increase .
If the salt -sand used for city residents is the same as on the roads then the Mayor is fibbing a little bit, this stuff will take the enamel off your teeth, it is very effective for melting, unless of course,my cement is different to react than the stuff the mayor has been using. I think the managers dropped the ball.
Safery is critical during these ice storms? Was there a warning by the Mayor’s office that icy conditions would be highly prevelant due to lack of salt or sand, whatever they use. Is the city libel for accidents occurring because of lack of maitenance or planning?
Two days ago I called the non-emergency number to the police department to report that vehicles were sliding through the intersection at Valentine Rd and Pecks Rd at almost every red light change. A salt and sand truck arrived within 20 minutes to distribute the smallest amount of sand possible. I did not realize sand trucks could be so…. efficient?
“That’s not how this works… that’s not how any of this works!”
Fodder for a new Geico commercial.
Maybe we should all be weathermen and call the mayor when snow is coming. He is acting like this the first time in every snowed in Berkshire County in wintertime. At least all former mayors of the city of Pittsfield had two brain cells to rub together.
Mother nature has defied all the man made global warming models projecting no more snow in winter.
I love his line “PLEASE DRIVE WITH CAUTION”. As if we are love spending $30,000.00 on our cars and smash them up. When you apply the brakes on a glazed sheet of ice, you lose control. Even Terry LaBonte or Mario will confirm that. We are fortunate that all the roads in Pittsfield are totally flat in these Berkshire Hills.
Maybe everyone should be required to install giant rubber bands around our cars so we will just bouce off of whatever we hit. I mean everyone loves riding in bumper cars at the amusement park.
I wonder how many law suits will pile up this year due to the city’s neglegence? Cheaper than sand/salt? I doubt it. Of course the only solution is to raise everyones taxes.
Correction:
first time “it ever”
my phone auto corrects (because it knows better what I was trying to say).
Disagree Fred….totally…employees in Pittsfield shut up…or pay a high price. Have you ever heard of corrupt intimidation…..
Wasn’t the whole purpose of declaring martial law and telling private businesses that they cannot open to clear the streets of 4″ of snow?
or
Was it for more nefarious purposes
Mainly – We are in charge.
We keep hearing from the mayor’s office that salt is ineffective.
So, applying nothing is effective? Did the mayor have his brain surgically removed?
Please redact and ban this user. Adding nothing to move the conversation forward
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You are simply attacking for no reason. That is not acceptable
Yeah because we all believe your name is really Fred Janson – Hypocrite.
Stopped using Charles Kronick Berkshire we see. Also your “Brian Williams” smokescreen.
Spagirl You hit the nail on the head. I have talked to a number of employee’s. They are afraid of what WILL HAPPEN if they speak up about the incompetence of the superintendent and foreman. running the department.
Fred,
Unless you are independently wealthy, loss of job in this economy is a real fear factor. I know several city employees who know what’s going on and are very fearful about job loss if they speak. I would bet the suits are already trying to determine who the plowing whistleblower is based on Dan’s limited information in this blog. So unless one of the planet’s readers has just won Power Ball or Megamillions and agrees to support the whistleblower, I would not count on the planet’s readers financial support. Their moral support is great, but it does not pay the mortgage, car, college tuition for the kids, etc. It’s not about “growing a pair” , but it’s about saving the pair that you already have.
It’s terrible that nobody can speak out in this city. We make fun of those who have crimes committed against them here in the city, but won’t speak out for fear of retribution from the perpetrators of the crimes. How are Pittsfield citizens any different when they are fearful of speaking out for fear of losing their jobs or not being hired for jobs in the first place? Both are held in check by fear.
Fred, you are so wrong on this point. If any current city employee is caught speaking out against Bianchi, then they face serious repercussions and vindictive, spiteful behavior from Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Bianchi does not see the need to come before the City Council to answer for his piss poor handling of the Highway Department??? Come on, if a previous Mayor said that, while City Councilor Bianchi was on the job, you can be sure he would have been screaming at the top of his lungs that the Mayor cannot ignore the City Council! Now, things are very different. This is a disgrace, God forbid if someone gets injured or dies in a car accident, due to the piss poor road conditions! Mayor Bianchi is responsible for all of this, with his bad management style and decisions.
I have friends and contacts in city govt, including the Highway Department. It is absolutely true that there is a political culture of fear based on intimidation. It has never been as bad as it is now.
Oh come on. Its not like he is lining them up and setting them on fire.
It is just that if they speak out they will never work in Pittsfield or the surrounding area for the rest of their lives
I do believe the mayor is looking through the wrong end of the binoculars with his so called vision of the city, but isn’t that predictable, he doesn’t see the need to come before the City Council to answer questions. He’s really that transparent.
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Again this is not advancing the conversation
Dan,
Did you see the picture the BB posted in the article:
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/popular/ci_27545387?source=most_viewed
The citizens of Pittsfield pedestrians are being forced to walk in the streets with 2000 lb cars on snow covered slipery icy roads.
What could possibly go wrong? Aren’t they breaking the law by jay-walking? The reason jay-walking laws are there is so people can safely cross the street without getting hit by a car.
The law says you have 24 hours to clear your walkways or pay a fine. If city walkways are not cleared in the same amount of time can pedestrians sue the city?
Why one set of standards for the people and another set for the city?
People who do get fined should fight it and use this reasoning in court.
Where is the Police Advisory Board now. Where Remember this article on the BB. The Police Advisory Committee wants the city to implement a new fine structure for jaywalkers even though enforcement …
Edward Snowden used his real name.
True patriots like Dan Valenti and many others on here got his back. The NSA, the FBI ten most wanted list, the Federal gov’t: not so much.
“When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Thank you, PAYBACK. We have supported Snowden and Julian Assange unequivocally for their role in bringing a little sunshine into the dark, dank, creepy government. Someone once likened me to Assange for my work in exposing some of the truth of what goes on in Pittsfield, thinking they were insulting me. Actually, it was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.
I can speak from experience as I worked for the City of Pittsfield DPW for several years. Let me state that I was not in a managerial position and pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck. I know what some of these managers have done and it’s not pleasant. I did speak up at one point………and I was told to “mind my own business…..or else”. I kept quiet and did what I had to do to keep my job. There was no way I was going to risk losing my job in this economy. I decided it was in my best interest to seek employment elsewhere. I was fortunate enough to find a decent job in a nearby town. I will soon be moving. Outside of Pittsfield. I refuse to work or live in this city……….and I would encourage everyone else who lives and works in Pittsfield to do the same if you can. Set a goal and plan as I did and get out. This city will soon be in receivership. For anyone that does not know what that means………It’s when the state gets involved and takes control of all of the budgets and finances involving the city. That would be good for Pittsfield. These managers are not fiscally responsible and they don’t care………they will just keep raising taxes and bleeding the taxpayers. Take a good look around this city. It’s a freaking dump. These managers spend most of their time making excuses, finger pointing, complaining, and figuring out how to line their wallets instead of doing what they are supposed to do. I have never seen such inefficiency at any level without any accountability. And it all starts at the top……..with mayor Bianchi and his chronies.
He is being transparent. He is not hiding the fact and has openly said he cares less of what the councilors say or think. At least that’s something. I hope everybody remember this when November comes around.
I called 443 9314 and the woman assured me the sidewalk along the bridge on Liptons side would be put on the list to be cleared
There is a home with disabled people right on Gamwell and one guy I see out walking should have access to that side of the street. I don’t think she was even sure who’s responsibility that section is. I started out by not assuming it was the cities but she assured me it would be done yet two weeks has gone by and still nothing.
Is someone in the corner office grinning from ear to ear that the snow removal debacle has side tracked the anti new school discussion?
You betcha!
The clock is running out day by day and if this was purposely done with that in mind then it rivals a Belichick game plan.
I read Dan Valenti’s blog today about how no one in Pittsfield is willing to speak up against the corruption in Pittsfield politics. The reason why no one is willing to speak is because they will lose their job and be blacklisted from future employment in and around Pittsfield. My dad was a Berkshire County Commissioner who spoke out about the issues facing Pittsfield and the Berkshire region. In return, the Nuciforo network filed “ethics” complaints against him to try to get my dad fired from his probation position in the Pittsfield district courthouse from the Fall of 1997 – the Spring of 1998. Moreover, the Nuciforo network had people threaten and bully me on Nuciforo’s behalf since the time I was 20 years old starting in the Spring of 1996. Nuciforo even made secretive plans with the Pittsfield Police Department to have me arrested by falsely alleging that I threatened him when I was 22 years old in the Spring of 1998. In 2005, after I moved away from the Berkshires to Southern New Hampshire, the Nuciforo network spread false rumors about me that “All Jonathan Melle ever did was stalk a Jewish woman from Otis.” The Nuciforo network spread rumors that my mental health disabilities from my honorable military service in the U.S. Army was really all about my love for a Jewish woman I would do anything for.” It is now mid-February of 2015, and after nearly 2 decades of Nuciforo’s bullying of me, I have never once received any kind of an apology from any of people associated with the Nuciforo network. This is my experience with Pittsfield. It is a negative one. I hope to never return to my native hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I feel that if I came from any other place than Pittsfield, I would have done much better in my adult life.
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Memo: personally attacking posters is trolling.
Attack the messanger. Is that your method here?
A common method taught in Israeli shilling school to the recruits sent out to undermine social media commentors.
You are trying to derail this forum to the gutter despite Dan’s firm warning to you yesterday. You are going way beyond disagreeing with Dan here as you stated above.
Please redact above comment. Attacking others should not be tolerated
@JoeKline: FREEDOM of SPEECH!
Yes but Jon, he is trying to turn it into topix where he got banned from. He now has to use proxy servers to reroute his comments to bypass his ban.
I drove around a cop nearly 8 years ago. Luciforo lost his campaign for U.S. Congress by 40 points about 2.5 years ago. Nuciforo is suing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Suffolk (Boston) Superior Court because he was denied a permit to sell medical marijuana. Nuciforo is busy representing Boston area financial corporations he networked with while he was a State Senator a decade ago. Nuciforo has law offices in both Pittsfield and Boston – both ends of Massachusetts. Nuciforo is failed politician and a corrupt lawyer. The joke is on Nuciforo! Or, better yet, Nuciforo is the joke!
I was talking to a Pittsfield cop today…he said the roads in the past week were horrible while responding to calls…and they had dealt with 22 car accidents due to road conditions
Agree with spagirl, fear and intimidation has replaced allegiance and conformity.
And had my ladies conformed with allegiance, maybe I wouldn’t have been throw under the bus. Hey Hey Hey!
Every single thing this mayor has done in office has been a total failure.
The carpets never did get replaced at city hall. The money got diverted to reconditioning and remodeling his own office with flat screen tv and all. City employees who complained about the carpets in the first place got duct taped seams at breaks in the carpet.
The city was winning its case against the methadone clinic setting up in Pittsfield when we had a competent attorney until the mayor replaced him with an incompetent one and paid off the plaintiff with tax payer money.
The mayor hired his good buddy Monteroso who turned out to be a threat to other city employees. A man who accomplished absolutley nothing in his 3 months on the job and walked away with a huge wad of cash due to this mayor’s golden handshake reward with city taxpayer money.
The mayor refused to buy a gallon or two of bleach, ventilation fans, and some paint in total negligence of maintaining city offices but rather opted to go new and move the offices instead to a rented building which makes the city taxpayers responsible for this for many years to come. What was once free to the city will now cost dearly. He did this despite the refusal of the city council to fund it, taking the money from somewhere else that he never did explain to anyone.
The old school buses we just fine. The tax payers were still paying them off. This mayor saw fit to replace them all with new ones. He put the taxpayers in a bind to pay for the new ones as well as the old ones. The old ones will probably be used by some community less corrupt who will transport “the children” to school just fine for many more years to come. A select few making huge profits on both ends of that deal.
The city department heads who got huge raises not based on their job performance are proving themselves as is know to everyone in Pittsfield seeing the deplorable condition of the roads by neglect and incompetence. The mayor says answering for to the city council “makes no sense”. Huge raises for incompetent performance makes no sense.
The city has neglected the upkeep and maintenance of Taconic High School now opting to tear it down and build a new one. The cost of a new roof, a little paint, carpentry, masonry etc would be pennies on the dollar. Isn’t it a vocational school where children learn skills to help them? Don’t they seek projects for the students to get hands on experience in all these trades? Can’t the prisoners fix their own prison?
Every single thing this mayor has done in office has been complete failure.
You will never “win” against a methadone clinic in a by right business district. Even trying to “engage” them was a mistake. It is a protected use.
The rest I agree with.
Thank you to Councilor Clairmont, Krol and Amuso for bringing their petitions before our city council regarding the deplorable road conditions in the city. The city’s first responsibility is to the safety of its citizens. Hopefully, Mayor Bianchi will appear before the City Council on Tuesday so that the citizens of Pittsfield will be assured that the people of Pittsfield and their safety is a priority of government. It was President Abraham Lincoln who said government is not “only by the people but for the people”.
Don’t plan on it Donna….the weasel is doing the spin master….and the huddle is planning the defense….. the Public knows the hard truth…incompetence.
The mayor thinks it snows different here. The surrounding towns are clear and most of the streets here are not. Bianchi doesn’t care. He and Collingwood and Swail got ther hefty increases in pay. The mayor is a finger pointer not a leader it shows in everything he does.I also think Mazzeo defending Collingwood instead of reprinting her constituents shows where her loyalty resides. The mayor seems to dislike Barrett cause he was aligned with Ruberto . The mayor had a highly efficent Public official to utilize at Public Works and Berkshire Works and got rid of him because he and his cohorts want to dismantle anything that Ruberto did that worked just because of some childish feeling.?
Maybe I’m wrong but as I recall John Barrett was always referred to negatively in this blog. Have you forgotten “der wunderbarrett”, “the great wind from the north” et. al. When he was appointed at Berkshire Works it was only to fatten his pension. Now he’s a convenient hero.
Barrett is no hero but he got his job done very well as far as maintaing city streets. North Adams may be shambles but he did serve there as one of the longest running mayors of any city in the USA. One thing he does know is how a department should be run.
Personally I did not mind Bianchi replacing him but to replace him with someone who is incompetent; well we are all seeing the results of that.
Ask the people if they’d rather have John Barrett in charge of making the roads safe or the moron they got now and the answer becomes clear.
I don’t like Barretts arrogant attitude but I have to admit that you don’t know what you got until you lose it.
You are wrong, TM. “Der Wunderbarrett” was not a negative usage. It was the opposite, in fact. And JBIII wasn’t “always referred to negatively in this blog.” The opposite reigns for that, too. You need to pay closer attention, TM.
I think that hiring Barrett was a GOB play and to call it anything else is just complete BS. Look that was a way for him to increase his retirement or some sort of payola for something. The real issue is the guy shouldn’t have been needed then because the city was already paying for people to do the job, as a manager and as on the ground employees. It was a complete disgrace that that went down and to somehow paint it now as a good this is stupid. The guy was doing the job that was already being paid for by the taxpayers, if the person that was supposed to be responsible and was already a city employee couldn’t do their job, they should have been fired and a new posted position put out there…not this end run around the rules.
If you were for Barrett then you are for 100 North as it was and is the same sort of end run, just different names and places
Meant representing
Where is the road?
Teswas on channel nine with the blame game singling out Krol, Clairmont and Lothrop. Um, what we need are answers not political scuttlebutt, it was serious out there! Oh,Vote NO on School and Yes to have the right to!
It must snow differently in Pittsfield because all the town”s and state roads were cleared and treated in a timely fashion around Pittsfield. It kept Snowing and snowing in Pittsfield we all just couldn’t see it. Is that what we are suppose to believe mayor? Its funny that the big Y had a clear parking lot. All the Banks were plowed and Sanded most all local businesses were plowed and sanded. But the streets weren’t. Well it must be us. We wont hear anything from Dan,Collingwood ,Swail or anybody else. There will never be accountability for any of the foolish half backed attempts with the snow plowing fiasco.
The truth my friend, will set you free.
This mayor never takes responsibility for anything.It is shameful ,that he blames a few councilors,instead of firing 2 employees that have a history of underperforming in a major way..It shows a continuing lack of leadership.He makes everything personal because he has no answers or lacks the ability to fix problems.I guess we know why Mayor Barrett got elected ,I think it was 26 years?.Iguess you don’t know what you have till it’s gone.