!UPDATES! HIDDEN COSTS LURK IN SCHOOL BUILDING PLAN … plus … MAZZEO MAY HAVE SEALED HER POLITICAL FATE WITH DRACONIAN ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH … BONDING FIGURES ON THS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BAFFLING … DO WE SEE A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO CONFUSE?
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
!!SEE BELOW FOR UPDATES!!
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, GOOD FRIDAY THROUGH EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 3-5) — There is a “Special Meeting” set up for 7 p.m. Tuesday April 7 in Council Chambers at Pittsfield City Hall. The meeting has a scant two items on the agenda. THE PLANET posts it in full:
- Open microphone
- COMMUNICATION FROM CITY OFFICERS AND BOARDS — A review of matters related to bonding for the Taconic High School Building Project.
There are nine attached information sheets in the official packet. Six of them are on spreadsheets that bear the following notation at the bottom: “prepared by FirstSouthwest.”
Vested Interests Abound
FirstSouthwest is an investment bank that specializes in public finance and bonding. This will be the firm Pittsfield presumably employs for any bonding associated with the Taconic project. Thus, the bonding firm has a large financial interest in seeing that the city adopt the most expensive option available. For this reason, THE PLANET advises you (and councilors) to look at all the figures presented in the packet with a scouring eye. We can make that claim for the architects, designers, consultants, and anyone else involved at this point, hired by the city to tell the city what it wants to hear.
These contractors have a vested interest in seeing that the project be approved at its highest possible expense to taxpayers. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s dishonesty afoot. It’s just the way these giant public projects work, or haven’t you been hip to military spending? Unless you dig, probe, and look beyond the handouts and the pretty pastel renderings, you will never know if you’re getting straight information — until it’s too late.
Set Up to Favor Construction vs. Renovation
The spreadsheets examine different financial scenarios between two options: Renovation of the existing THS or tearing the old one down and building a new one. The first two sheets supply the assumed financials for renovating at a cost of $36 million, the first with 28-year bonds (borrowing, i.e., added debt to the already ponderous burden taxpayers are carrying) and the second with 25-year bonds.
Bonding for 28 years would cost the city an average yearly debt service payment of $2,286,948. This would add 3.11% to the tax rate, so the figures claim. That’s on top of the usual tax increase of 4 to 5% Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski have to pay. Bonding for 25 years would boost yearly debt service to $2,365,795, which would add 3.22% to the annual tax hike.
The next four spreadsheets present figures that ostensibly represent the financial scenarios of borrowing for new construction. It present the taxpayers’ obligations for 20-, 25-, and 28-year bonding (20-year bonds are figured twice, for some bizarre reason, each time assuming a 4% interest rate but each yielding two different service payments. Bizarre, to say the least).
Under the new-school construction assumptions, bonding would cost taxpayers annually $2,648,910 and 3.60% hike in taxes for 20 years; $2,957,097 and 4.02% tax hike for 25 years; and $2,858,328 a year with a 3.89% tax jump for 28 years.
Be From Missouri, the ‘Show Me’ State
The first thing that jumps out at you is how the figures are an attempt to make it look like there’s no difference, or not much of one, between renovation and new construction. Be from Missouri, the “Show Me” state. When they dish out figures like this, say, “Yeah? Show me.”
THE PLANET advises anyone, especially our Right Honorable Good Friends on the council, to ask tough, hard questions here. Otherwise, they might find the city, once again, snookered. THE PLANET speaks, of course, for The Little Guy, who otherwise remains without a voice in this matter.
Added Document Shows ‘Hidden Costs’
The final page in the packer is a mysterious document titled: “Ineligible Project Cost.” It appears that these are the items for which no reimbursement will be available and for which taxpayers shall assume full costs. It’s a ponderous list, indeed. No wonder they buried it last.
Here’s the lineup, exactly as taken from the document:
1. Legal Fees
2. Permitting Cost
3. Land/Building Purchase Cost
4. Appraisal Fees
5. Recording Fees
6. Asbestos floor tile demolition
7. Underground Storage Tank (UST’s) [sic] removal
8. Hazardous Waste Containment & disposal (l.e. [sic] Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s) [sic] and contaminated soils
9. Site work beyond the cap of 8% of the building cost
10. General Conditions/Bonds/Insurance/Overhead & Profit/etc. associated with site work 8% cap
11. Construction Cost above $287 SF
12. Possible FFE/Technology above $2,400 per student cap (negotiated)
13. Off-site utility work (we’re going to have some in [sic] Valentine Road
14. Program space beyond MSBA guidelines (e.g., if the District wants larger cafeteria for 2 lunch servings)
15. Football stadium bleachers, concession stand, press box
16. Moving Cost
17. Storage costs [sic]
18. Swing Space/Modulars
19. Utility Company Fees
20. Soft Cost that exceed 20% of Construction Cost (soft cost are [sic] Designer, Engineer & OPM fees)
21. Change Order work that exceed [sic] 1% of Construction Cost.
——– 000 ——–
THE PLANET must leave to a day next week to properly go through this problematic list. For the moment, we shall ignore the unprofessional presentation, loaded as it is with stylistic and grammatical errors. Moreover, THE PLANET gives a temporary pass, to be withdrawn next week, to the questionable items in the 21 on the list, some which suggest open, undefined costs — again, for which taxpayers shall be on the hook. Especially worrisome are (1), (8), (9), and (21).
(1) When legal fees aren’t capped, the costs can be unlimited, especially at $250 an hour.
(8) A true shocker. This is the first confirmation of a rumor that’s been floating around for a while, namely that the site is loaded with PCBs. Hazardous waste removal costs a fortune.
(9) “Site work beyond the cap …” Excuse us? The definition of a cap is “no more … this is the top … it doesn’t go beyond this” — except in Pittsfield, when The Suits are involved.
(21) Think of how much money can be wasted here, with an unlimited amount of change orders.
These items are essentially a giant blank check. It is authorization for unlimited spending that the Pittsfield School Committee, superintendent, School Building Needs Commission, Mayor, and City Council — should our Right Honorable Good Friends be so abusive of taxpayers by voting this into effect on April 14 — will impose on poor Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.
———————————————————————————–
Council President Launches Blatant Assault on Free Speech
Finally and quickly, we could not go the weekend without offering an appetizer on a sure topic for THE PLANET next week. We refer to council president Melissa Mazzeo’s naked attempt, no doubt upon order from the mayor, to be the sole determinator of which citizens gets to speak and on what topics in the open mic session of council meetings.
This shall not go by unchallenged. One can never predict when it comes to city politics, especially with apathy, but Mazzeo has just kicked the hornet’s nest. This is her “step too far.” If there is any justice, short of a public apology and a reversal by Mazzeo, this will spell her political doom.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
—————————————————————————————————
“If I could, maybe I’d give you my world. How can I, when you won’t take it from me?” — Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way,” from the album Rumours, (1977).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
In less than two years from now Pittsfield residents will be making a mad rush for the door. Skyrocketing taxes and dysfunctional government will have pushed the people over the edge and a glut of homes will come on the market as people attempt too late to flee. Due to the glut of homes on the market prices will be suppressed and those who can sell will take a loss on their investment and their chances to start over. In addition few people who do their homework will want to move to Pittsfield. This will further depress home prices and the time waiting for your home to sell will be long. The remaining seniors on fixed incomes who had hoped to somehow hold onto and die a natural death in their own homes will be selling cheap and moving into elderly housing like so many before them. Not their original plan but in Pittsfield you don’t always get to make your own plan.
The silver lining is that it will create jobs as people hire handymen to fix up their homes prior to sale. Realtors will be putting on help. Home inspectors will get a boost in work and trucking companies will get see an increase as people will need help moving to their next dream home.
I hope you enjoyed my April fools joke.. for the reality is that everything is coming up roses in Pittsfield. It is the land of Oz and dreams which do come true.
heh heh
The Mass exodus has already begun. The deadly plagues are already upon us. A wall of debt is on each side of the people, ready to drown them. The Pittsfieldites who have already made it out on dry land are safe.
How will the “unexpected” “surprise” cost overruns be handled?
A school levy?
A surtax?
or outright huge tax hike?
Will Ms. Mazzeo say “raise taxes, we have to?”
The only thing the old Taconic really needs is a new roof. Especially after the vandelism that took place recently up there.
The rest of the repairs can be done by carpentry students, inmates and volunteers.
Think about it….. if your roof starts leaking, do you send up a team of ametuers to poke more holes through it? Do you continue to let it leak destroying its structure? Do you just tear your house down and borrow the money and build a new house?
If you do then you do things just like Pittsfield’s politicians.
No serious estimates on repairs have ever been done. They are selling you this as costing the same either way because “they” think you’re stupid.
Just watch what really happens.
Mazzeo, has finally moved free speech towards a police state.She is proposing a new rule be adopted for the 3 minute comment period ,after Mr.Gaetani used her own rule effectively against her. It will allow her to stop free speech instantly and. Have some removed from the chambers. She also wants a Police Officer installed in the council chambers at tax payer expense, instead of out in a gang ridden ,,drug plagued city doing their job.I ask any person to Google any editorial she wrote..She used to drag council meeting on for hours by refusing to stop talking. ,She wrote editorials where she and the mayor asked their critics be removed at election time by telling falsehoods or create a rumor campaign . Bianchi and Mazzeo can’t stand being challenged and running government how it was intended to run.They have shown they are not only disengaged from healthy government process they are totally against it.They orchestrate pseudo events. Cue cards provided to push there agenda or defend dysfunction .ex Kathy Degnan debacle. Mazzeo did not stop that mob instead presided over it. Where were the police that day? These people don’t know how to work with people. So they vilify them or silence them by removing there free speech from the room and the cameras. Can anyone remember George Orwells 1984 well I think it’s alive and well in Pittsfield.Big Brother knows what’s best for you ,just sit down and shut up.
DV, Can you assure Mr. Gaetani and his bank of lawyers in Hampden County are aware of this ?
Agree completely. Terrible. As DV said on his tv show last nite this has Bianchis prints all over it. Mazzeo is just doing his bidding, both got to go in this election. Linda Tyer or Craig Geatani, anyone, as long as theyre not connected to this corrupt adminitration.
Does this mean the councilor’s that are up for reelection cannot speak at the council meeting??
there is a simple way to avert Mazzeo’s usurp against Gaetonic. he can appear on the Dan Valenti Show, do gigs at the local radio stations,and one other is have speakers lined up at the open Mike and have them talk about Mr. Gaetonic for the three minutes. How can she stop this, she can’t.
seems like thats city policy mark blaisdell feels the same
Mark Blaisdell….what do you mean? What does he has to do with?
he has a problem with people who use the free speech amendment
he has a problem with people who use the free speech amendment he wants people to be quite instead of doing his “job”
Bianchi and Mazzeo do not want Citizens to speak…period. That’s the way they want it.
To Dan, his bloggers and all others – Happy Easter and a Beautiful Passover! Let us all be thankful that we can (still) express our beliefs without the treat of being killed for those beliefs.
Happy Easter, Bill. Freedom of Speech is still a right. Bianchi and Mazzeos days are numbered.
Bill is trying to change the subject…
if it was a different time people would picket
Linda Tyer must be smiling from ear to ear.
As Bianchi s right hand wo man, Melissa Mazzeo is about to anger most of the voting population. Both she and Bianchi will lose more than a few votes with this Rambo like power play. But by now they both think they can walk on water so they probably do not care.
You gotta admit Gaetani has no chance to be Mayor. His tirade at open mic justify he is not qualified for the job
Eggxactly the opposite is true. It made Gaetani a perfect candidate for mayor. It was not a tirade but a passion for the little guy.
You got him confused with finger wagging Bianchi lockdown tirades.
Nice try to stand up for the good old boys who want to silence him.
Melissa will be the top vote getter in November with the possible exception of whoever is elected mayor.
If the only three running are Bianchi , Tyer and Gaetani I will surely vote for Gaetani. The only way to clean up this burg is with a renegade. The other two are just the same old crap over and over and over. I hope to see more tirades.
I am sure he will be trashed from every direction because there is a lot of money at stake running Pittsfield. And the powers that be want to make sure they are holding the purse strings. I anticipate this will be a very dirty election season.
Gaetani gets maybe 50 votes tops
I agree….Gaetani’s actions at the open mic turned off many people. He acted like a wild man….too aggressive.
this city needs Gaetani because he isn’t afraid to speak his mind or challenge people. This city needs a person who won’t mute our right to free speech
Dust in the wind… You are right. They both are imploding.
Personally, I always liked Ms. Mazzeo and always encouraged friends and family to vote for her. Those days are over after this latest stunt. I will work against her. I hope good bye for good is in her plans. No dictatorship.
Ed great comment. Me too. I have always voted for Melissa. No More that I promise. And Im encouraging everyone to do the same.
So now in addition to denying you, the people a vote on spending $200 Million + US dollars of your money, if dare to enter council chambers and speak out against it you may be removed from the building by a taxpayer paid police officer.
Pittsfield city government has been overtaken by thugs, much the same as Nazis Germany, a government overtaken by thugs.
The city council president will not even follow their own rules and even ordered a shut down of the media filming the event.
This city council needs to be disbanned. The vote for the new high school will have 3 councilors voting illegally and hopefully the state ethics commission will shut it down and nullify this horrible deal.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/local/ci_27838465/pittsfield-city-council-president-aims-curb-meeting-disruptions?source=rss
Pittsfield politics likes to raise taxes and increase spending every year. Meanwhile, thousands of people have moved away from Pittsfield. Pittsfield’s tax base is shrinking. Pittsfield politicians are totally corrupt. The vested interests are digging Pittsfield further and further into the proverbial ditch.
I’m on the Mazzeo bandwagon despite a few hiccups, after all she did put the three stooges in there place.
you mean “their” place. I disagree, she made herself look like a fool. Some one told me that the reason she was chosen to Council President was to keep her shut.
Wow, a cool $75 million after interest for a school that will be worth $0 when it’s finally paid off
And the hits just keep on coming and coming….
When they can’t make good on the unfunded liabilities and comes due, it’ will really hit the fan.
Dan,
Maybe Jack Welch will fork over a couple hundred million dollars to pay for all of Pittsfield’s projects?
How about Willard Mitt Romney?
It will probably be Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski!
– Jonathan
I am reading a fabulous baseball story titled ” T.J. MY 26 Years in Baseball”.about Tommy John written byTommy John with Dan Valenti, This is one of many excellent baseball books authored by Dan Valenti. What a treat. I bet few knew Tommy John was an outstanding high school baskettball player who was recruited by the famous Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp. It’s in the book. Rupp was as great as he was bigoted and, in my opinion, coached the best ever college team. Sorry John Calipari. I saw this team play in the old Madison Sq. Garden so I know what I’m talking about. Rupp’s ’48 and ’49 Kentucky teams won the NCAA championships and the bulk of the “48 American Olympic championship team was made up of the University of Kentucky college team .ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS and they had to go to class and pass courses. Great book, Dan. I’ll sign off to you wishing Paula and you a very Happy Easter.
Earlier postings from Bill Sturgeon wishing Dan and bloggers a Happy Easter deserves a response in kind. Bill, to you and the princess here’s wishjng you a very Happy Easter.
Well, that being said…the fool did the job, for me. There!
Wishing…Chuck the UCLA era teams weren’t bad?
Nota
You are right.The Kareem and Walton team were great. But the Kentucky team was not composed of giants. Remember the set shot? Even small guys could make the team if they could swish a half court two handed set shot. In the game I saw Kentucky guard Ralph Beard, not even 6 feet tall, hit nothing but net on 6 half court shots. Today he would not make the team. Their big man was named Alex Groza. He was 6’9″, if I remember correctly.Remember Lou (The Toe) Groza, the great 2 way tackle of the Cleveland Brown?. Alex was his brother. One other thing about this “48 – ’49 team is the power structure would like to erase them from memory. I think it was 3 or 4 of the boys who went to the pros and they were doing well, but a low life gambler got caught and to save his miserable skin he told the feds these Kentucky greats took money to shave points from a few games, and the boys were banned for life from the game. So they’re forgotten, but for a college team of college students who played together for 4 years they were the best – I think.
Right NOTA. The 1972 U C L A team was 30-0 and won by an average of 32 points per game. Bill Walton was the Center.
I would like to thank Councilor Simonelli for his relentless effort to get Pecks Rd. potholes filled. An impossible task, but at least he tried.
No question, PopKorn, This team was great, too. Didn’t Walton in the championship game hit 100% of his shots? I watched the game and at the time thought it was the best game anyone ever had.
Chuck continues to change the subject…..As much as I like sports or anything else right now my main concern is how my hard earned pennies are going to be spent.
No, Guess What, not trying to change the subject but trying to be current and relevant because the NCAA tournament games are this evening and Kentucky is a factor. Just thought it would be interesting. As the owner and tax payer on 5 Pittsfield properties I am very interested in community finances and I am with you in how our tax dollars are allocated and spent.
April 3, 2015
Re: Open Letter to Alan Chartock about Pittsfield politics
Dear Alan Chartock,
I am proud to be among those who voiced my dissent in my writings against Pittsfield Mayor Jimmy Ruberto. During Ruberto’s tenure as Mayor of Pittsfield, thousands of people moved away from Pittsfield, plus thousands of jobs were lost in Pittsfield. K B Toys went bankrupt and hundreds of jobs were lost in Pittsfield. GE Plastics sold their business unit to Sabic. While the working class struggled to pay their bills, Mayor Ruberto raised taxes by about five percent every year for eight straight years. Mayor Ruberto called all of his spending, “sacrifice”. He spent tens of millions of public dollars on revitalizing downtown Pittsfield, including over two million dollars from the GE economic development fund, which was supposed to be used for job creation. Then there is PEDA. During the eight years Ruberto ran Pittsfield politics, PEDA had zero private businesses. It is more than fair to say that Ruberto was a complete failure on economic development, especially with PEDA!
Then there is the notorious “Good Old Boys” of intergenerational, interrelated political hacks that pull the same crap in Pittsfield politics year after year. Jimmy Ruberto was the King of this corrupt club. His late brother, Anthony Ruberto, was a Berkshire County District Attorney and then a Judge. Mayor Ruberto had Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr. swear him into his third of four terms in early-January, 2008. Nuciforo’s late-father was a Pittsfield State Senator and then Judge. His Uncle was a Pittsfield State Representative. His late-Aunt was a Pittsfield Mayor. I hope you understand the pattern of these local powerbrokers in Pittsfield politics. It is all in the family in Pittsfield politics. If you are not related to the mafia-like Good Old Boy network in Pittsfield politics, you are an outsider who lives in fear of their power. If you are like me – a blogger who dissents against their political corruption – then you will never find a full time, living wage job in Pittsfield. When I lived in Pittsfield as a young adult and a Veteran who served our nation with honor, I was blacklisted from employment in Pittsfield because of the Good Old Boys club. In fact, I had better odds winning the state lottery jackpot than finding employment in Pittsfield.
Since I was 20 years old in the Spring of 1996, Nuciforo had people bully me on his behalf without leaving behind his own fingerprints. From the Fall of 1997 to the Spring of 1998, Nuciforo tried to get my dad fired from his former Pittsfield courthouse job by filing multiple “ethics” complaints against him. In the Spring to Summer of 1998, when I was 22 turned 23 years old, Nuciforo tried to send me to his close friend Berkshire County Sheriff Carmen Massimiano, Jr.’s Pittsfield jail. In the Spring of 2006, Nuciforo openly strong-armed two women candidates (former Pittsfield Mayor Sara Hathaway and Registry of Deeds staff member Sharon Henault) out of a Massachusetts state government election for Pittsfield Registrar of Deeds. This is the kind of politics the Jimmy Ruberto openly supported and ran on. But according to you, Alan Chartock, “Jimmy Ruberto was a sensational mayor but he had to deal with a torrent of criticism from bloggers and other anonymous, angry people”.
I grew up in Pittsfield and watched my native hometown’s downward spiral my entire life. If more people were willing to voice their dissent against the insider, corrupt, and failed politics of the Good Old Boy network that runs Pittsfield politics, then maybe Pittsfield wouldn’t be the “Pottersville” community it has become today. I always wondered if I was a powerbroker like Jimmy Ruberto or Andrea Nuciforo II, and I pulled the same crap that they pulled over the years, if you would have written your political columns against me. Ruberto and Nuciforo are “sensational” in your eyes, but if I was a Good Old Boy who ran a top down political fiefdom, I believe you would have put me in the same space as you put my friend Rinaldo Del Gallo III about a decade ago.
Then there are Pittsfield public schools, where over 600 students choice out to neighboring school districts every year, and about 2/3rds of Pittsfield students are receiving free lunches. Mayor Ruberto failed on public education in Pittsfield.
Then there is crime. When Jimmy Ruberto ran against then Mayor Sara Hathaway in 2003, his biggest criticism of her was her response to violent crime and drug use in Pittsfield. It is fair to say that crime has gotten worse in Pittsfield.
When I studied economics and finance at U Mass Amherst in the late-1990s, my professors saw Pittsfield as a community known for low median incomes and high per capita welfare caseloads. Most of Pittsfield’s population loss comes from its young adults. If a young family stays in Pittsfield, they will earn less than other regions of the northeast. If they lose their low income jobs, they end up on welfare in Pittsfield. No one wants to live in a cycle of poverty. Mayor Ruberto seemed oblivious to it all. He even said that he wanted to build around “those people”. I remember reading that Ruberto did well in the well to do voting wards in Pittsfield’s elections. The working class voting wards were not for him.
In Pittsfield, every local politician says that they are Democrats because you have to be a Democrat to get elected. The same is true with Mayor Dan Bianchi and City Clerk mayoral candidate Linda Tyer. I do not believe that Jimmy Ruberto was a true Democrat, but rather, I believe he was an elitist who favored the rich and powerful. I remember he spoke if favor of policy proposals favored by then Governor Willard Mitt Romney. The Berkshire Eagle called Nuciforo a social liberal, but fiscal conservative. “Democrat” Carmen Massimiano publicly endorsed Republicans, including the late-Ed King, Bill Weld and the late-Paul Cellucci. The Good Old Boys who run Pittsfield politics care more about their power than their beliefs.
You, Alan Chartock, have a right to support these Pittsfield politicians I come to despise, but I would have liked it if you encouraged people to participate in politics, including voicing their First Amendment constitutional right to dissent.
– Jonathan Melle
Jonathan, we have heard most of what you said dozens of times at least. Do you have anything new to say? Yes, you did say something new but I believe incorrect. You claim that Ruberto increased taxes by almost five present each year for eight years. That would be a forty to fifty percent increase over the eight years, depending if you are compounding the interest. The checks that I wrote out to the city for taxes over that period did not amount to a forty percent increase, sorry to say but I believe you are wrong. Did you have to write checks to Pittsfield for taxes durning that time frame, I don’t think so, but I did.
Note: I am being sarcastic!
Oh yeah, that is right, Mayor Jimmy Ruberto never raised municipal taxes above the rate of inflation. He never called his spending of taxpayer dollars “sacrifice”. Thousands of people never moved out of Pittsfield while he was mayor. Thousands of jobs were never lost either. PEDA had hundreds of applicants from Fortune 500 corporations. Downtown Pittsfield is better than Paris, London, NYC, and L.A. combined for its culture and arts. The Good Old Boys club represented the democratic principles of citizen participation. Those who dissented were able to find good jobs. Thousands of locals never had to receive welfare benefits. It is a myth that 2/3rds of Pittsfield public school students receive free lunches. Pittsfield public schools are worth every taxpayer dollar they receive!
Yes indeed Chuck. he was 21 of 22 and had 44 points, good memory my friend……I looked it up. 🙂
Thanks for the research PopKorn. I think the one shot he missed was in the last quarter. What a fabulous game Walton had. Indeed, memory remains good as opposed to other anatomy parts.
A major story today supports my concerns about basketball’s decent into ridiculousness. The NBA has contracted with a gent named Sim Bhullar. Sim is 7’5″weighs 360 pounds. Now this is a game that was designed when guys were on average 5’5″ tall and the basket then and now 10 feet high. The 2 pointer had an arch to it whereas today the dunk is considered peachy. The solution to this nonsense may be to raise the baskets to 15 feet. Love to see the set shot return. Now that took skill.
Great analysis of THS documents DV. More evidence of snookery by Bianchi etc. Also what got me irked and I just had to write is Melissa M’s awful move to limit free speech.
She has turned out to be as bad as Bianchi maybe worse.
I am thinking of supporting Linda Tyer for mayor. It will be certain if sheI calls out Mazzeo for this.
You don’t see all this unrest in surrounding towns. Pittsfield Government is fractured. The walls are crumbling. Not to stand for it, Citizens. They need to go, along with any ties to them.
Try Googling “kennedy park belvedere” or “Hinsdale police chief” sometime, spagirl.
Correct Mike Ward. I will say once Lenox got a new town manager things have been much smoother in Lenox. People like working in town hall now. Too bad the change didn’t happen sooner.
Great reply Mike!
Off topic but of interest:
Regarding the BCC dog incident, the alleged victim and her lawyer have requested a delay of the hearing. The State Police report has been received by the Animal Control Commission.
Originally the hearing was going to be held at the ACC meeting this Wednesday, April 8 but it has now been postponed indefinitely. All parties: victim, dog owners, and police need to be able to attend the hearing.
There will be another hearing on the agenda, however. ‘Tis the season.
The Eagle has to know the names. If it was Joe Everyday his name would have been on the front page by now.
Thanks for the update Tom. Please do keep us all posted.
Confused Tom – do you know why the cover-up. We know the name of the woman who was left bleeding in the field but not the names of the dog owners. This is something the Planet is usually right on top of but he seems disinterested for some reason.
I don’t consider it a cover-up. The hearing will be public. I don’t feel that I can ethically disclose the names of anyone involved until the item is put on the agenda. I am not the chair of the ACC, but a member.
If the victim’s name has been made public, so should the owners names. This is considered a criminal case, isn’t it? The Eagle publishes the names of “adults” involved in crimes.
I see several crimes here: Assault and battery (dog). And leaving the scene of a crime. Not to mention not offering assistance to the woman.
If it is not a cover-up, what would you call it. There is no doubt in my mind that these are well-heeled families.
The ACC does not deal with criminal cases. We deal with the dogs. Our enforcement powers are very circumscribed by state law. Our orders can be appealed.
It would be up to the DA, I believe, to bring criminal charges and up to the victim to bring a civil case.
I think a civil case is more likely, and I hope she does. Because I seriously doubt the criminal charges since all the hush-hush is pointing to the usual cover-up. It’s who you know in this town and always has been.
Tom: Will the next ACC meeting be televised so we may all find out who is involved?
The ACC hearings are televised.
The BB reported one of the dogs is now in “Marlboro”. Who has a Marlboro connection at BCC ?
A few years ago, the ACO told me that the ACC directed him not enforce the leash laws. If that’s true, that was a big mistake. Dogs can be unpredictable, even when properly trained.
Not true. I’ve been on the ACC for over 10 years. We always want the leash laws enforced.
Then the ACO lied to me.
Another thought….I hope this dog assault doesn’t begin and end with the ACC but also will go to court. My feeling is that the ACC will only give a slap on the wrist and a warning.
Please see my reply to Spider above.
Thanks Tom for serving as an example of openness and transparency.
I’m sure those up standing citizen’s thought that women was a deer. Why not go to the well again.
Yes Carolyn, Chris Ketchen is the best thing going. Passionate, and wants to best for the town. I think Linda will do the same. She kicked some serious butt as the clerk and it showed. But for now, Look at the streets, its a joke. Another interesting tidbit, 83 Dorchester is finally demolished-5 years after a demo order was issued. Coincidence on an election year?hmmmm
Look at the streets is right. The streets are deplorable, dirty filthy with potholes and garbage. Tes you and your crews should be ashamed. And City Council as well.
Merrill Road, dark… no painted lines…speedway…a pedestrian death. No crosswalk paint. Been bitch g about this since late last summer. Collingwood and asshole Mayor.
Spa girl you sure are a class act!
Well I agree with spagirl because I too have complained about Merrill Road since I live near there. Trying to pull out is a nightmare. No desiganted lines on center strip or for pedestrians.
I lodged my complaint with the mayor’s office. They didn’t acknowledge it only after numerous attempts and then they told me to call DPW. Call to Collingwood’s office produced nothing. the death of the pedestrian shakes me because in my compaint I mentioned that very thing. City hall didn’t listen, a man is now dead.
Thank you Mayor Bianchi and Mr. Collingwood.
That’s right Jamie…me too. And I have said it over and over. The incompetence is staggering.
@spagirl….its a state highway!! neither of the two you mention have any control over it except ppd can enforce the speed
Pittsfield DPW is responsible for painting the lines on Merrill Road. …know your role
@spagirl…u are completely wrong…madot subcontracts line painters…get a clue…madot has jurisdiction over all state highways not local dpws…hence madot plows it as well not the dpw…ask joe…he makes a bundle doing it
spaniel, tell us how you really feel?
When is the hearing? Anyone?
acc guy? What is the reason for paying the city ten bucks each year for dog tags? Why can’t it be a one time deal? to me it’s just another tax.
As far as I know there were at least three alleged violations specific th the B C C attack. One was non restraint another viscous intent without any restraint and letting the mutts run amuck on public property which is also illegal. I plan on attending these hearing and even speak if possible, these owners need to be held accountable. These could have been children for krist sakes.
Viscous intent.
You have to ask yourself, if these politicians are not doing anything wrong then why are they trying to silence everyone?
Model Citizen,
Exactly!
Gaetani called them cowards and more or less gave them zero respect at open mike.
Maybe people should look at the State Troopers Police Report about the dogs at BCC, the so called victim story is very different to the Trooper then the news outlets. Someone is looking for a free get out of work card.
Linda has a shot almost the perfect storm Tes ineptness, Gaetani hair trigger temper. She is the chair for the Charter following the correctness of that document. It’s almost like the Register of Deeds, it was time for Patricia Harris also. Eill Linder Tyer make a good mayor, check the people surrounding her at her announcement, then make your pick.