FREE JOBS FOR PuNKS … VP ABOUT NOTHING … ALMOST BIDDEFORD, MAINE … CITY ‘TYLERED’ WITH CONSULTANT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 29, 2015) — As many folks realize, without THE PLANET, you just aren’t being informed. With that sentiment in mind, we bring you commentary on four recent “news” items. We do this to illustrate that even when the Mainstream Media (MM) “covers” local stories, they’re not covering them.
NEWS ITEM: “Pittsfield wins $5 million for anti-gang program”
It sounds good, and the MM covered it fawningly. Big Uncle S. sends $5 million to Pittsfield to be used over the next 10 years for a program called “Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.” No one, though,
ADAM HINDS
has explained how mere money will magically turn the nightmare of gangs and youth run amok into anything “Safe and Successful.” Perhaps the $5 million were better used to sterilize the deadbeats to stop the replication of their unwanted spawn. Get this: The money will be spent on “youth in the city who have had significant issues with the law.” The quote comes from Adam Hinds, chair of Pittsfield Community Connection’s steering committee, another one of those “nothing” jobs The Suits like funding to make it look like they’re addressing a social problem. These “youth” are “proven-risk males between the ages of 17-24.” That’s one way of identifying them. THE PLANET can think of others less euphemistic and more precise. These gangers will get free “education certification support” (pieces of paper saying they are smart) and “subsidized jobs” (they won’t have to apply for work like honest, law-abiding youths; the gigs will be handed to them). Sorry, Adam, THE PLANET eschews the bandwagon so readily mounted by MM. This grant is not good news. It’s the opposite, since it represents an admission of failure of this community to take care of itself.
NEWS ITEM: “Council debates VP protocol”
When we were kids playing baseball at Deming Park, we formed teams with the two captains
J-LO
alternately selecting. When our Right Honorable Good Friends on the Pittsfield City Council pick their officers, they bicker. THE PLANET asks: Which scenario most resembles brats arguing over pails in the sandbox? It’s not the Valentis, Massettis, Paraltas, Gregorys, Strelins, and Nollis at Deming all those years ago. Tradition has allowed the elected council president to name a vice president. Outgoing Ward 5 councilor Jonathan Lothrop wants the VP post to be elected. J-Lo contended tradition doesn’t comply with the current charter. Council president Melissa Mazzeo disagreed. Only in Podunk. For those keeping score at home, the council decided to go with “VP by vote.” The real story here is the ongoing dispute between the two bitter political factions that has held Pittsfield hostage for a generation. Quote of the night goes to Ward 3’s Nick Caccamo when he declared, “That’s really funky.” Betcha he took Speech 101 in kahlidge.
NEWS ITEM: “PHS explores ‘Almost, Maine’
T. GASSMAN. Seriously.
In its December production, the thespians at Pittsfield High School presented the play, Almost, Maine. Director Treather Gassman (no, we didn’t make it up) says the large cast is “discovering things all the time.” Hmmm. Gassman took this four-character play and expanded the cast to 20. We admire the instincts to think without a box, but if Gassman really wanted to pep up this stinker, she should have set the play in Biddeford, Maine. From there, in that setting, all manner of plot twists could emerge on the Biddeford back roads, Boy’s Club, and YMCA, f’rinstance. THE PLANET could have recommended at least two expert technical advisers. The new version could have been retitled, Almost Biddeford, Maine or Won’t You Have the G.D. Common Courtesy of Giving Me a Reach-Around?
NEWS ITEM: “Pittsfield to gain full-time consultant for efforts in Tyler Street area.”
OCD’s JANET AKERSTROM (Photo: The Berkshire Eagle)
Good Lord, save the city, won’t You, from do-gooders? MassDevelopment is going to give Pittsfield a Transformative Development Initiative Fellow. And what’s a TDIF? It’s a full-time dude with Friends in High Places. Such taxpayer-funded flufferies often go to a Big Shot’s nephew, son, niece, daughter, brother-in-law who couldn’t hold a job in the Dreaded Private Sector with Velcro mittens. The TDIF will, according to our Right Honorable Good Friend Sen. Ben Downing, “help revitalize the Tyler Street corridor and build on the great network of local business and community organizations.” Right. Downs is referring to the job the Office of Community Development and the countless taxpayer-funded “economic development” offices were designed to do but failed to accomplish. OCD director Janis Akerstrom spoke of the city’s “vision” and its “stakeholders.” Stop us if you’ve herad this one before. Akerstrom took over OCD late this summer. She makes $79,404 plus bennies. She left a similar post in Orlando, Fla., which she took in March 2013. No reason was given for her departure from the South or if the move was “sudden” or not. But you know how that story goes.
————————————————————————————————–
“Close softly, fondly, while ye weep, / His eyes, that death may seem like sleep.” — William Cullen Bryant, from “The Burial of Love.”
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views expressed in the comment section or opinions published within the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not those of PLANET VALENTI or endorsed in any way by PLANET VALENTI; this website reserves the right to remove any comment which violates its Rules of Conduct, and it is not liable for the consequences of any posted comment as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and PLANET VALENTI’s terms of service.
So for young male thugs aged 17 to 24: opportunity knocks.
Law abiding yoots of the same age can move to the back of the train and eat protein blocks made from cockroaches.
Given the graft happy political machinations of the Pittsfield political machine it would not be shocking if 3 million dollars of the 5 million dollars for the SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL YOUTH INITIATIVE gets lost in administrative costs and nepotismal job creation.
It is possible that it was even designed that way in its birth tube.
As asked before. Who oversees this grant money? Skepticism galore. $5 Million Dollars?
Dan, dig more because that has been already assigned.
First United Methodist Church pastor Rev. Ralph Howe knows, ask him.
Who issued the grant? I hope they will make sure it is used correctly.
Dan, is it April fools day? This stuff can’t be real.
Not seeing any improvement in the Tyler Street area and she has been on the job since this summer. They had to get somebody all the way from Florida for this TDIF position? Couldn’t they have hired a local person for this $80,000.00 per year position? That’s a lot of money for such a do nothing job. This is a perfect example of local government waste and nonsense. I bet they demanded a bachelors degree for it also.
J-Lo and A Hi are sporting the same look!
“It’s deja vu all over again”.
Why doesn’t A Hi become the Director over at the Club and keep it all under one roof.
“A-Hi.” I like it. And so it shall be, from now on.
As rumor, no fact, has it, A Hi threw a raging got this past summer when his pay chech wasn’t teady on time. He threatened everyone in sight and the mayor told the person responsible for writing the checks to hurry up and write him one. Being a former gang member himself I guess A Hi must intimidate done at city hall. He’s ineffective and does a crappy job but is a great him flapper so I guess that’s good enough here.
Christ, I mis spelled my own name bits Jim Gleason.
A MAN as always, JIMMY, owning up to an honest mistake. My favorite in this category comes from the many “profiles in cowardice” we seem among our elected and appointed (or should it be “anointed”) officials, when they make DIShonest “mistakes” and when caught deny, lie, abandon ship, or turn state’s witness.
Maybe after they spend a ton of money revitalizing Tyler street, just like North street, they can rename it Tyer street. After our new mayor.
Perhaps a nice boutique hotel and resturant in Hess forest. A swank little tobacco and smoke shop on the corner of Cherry street. 6 more Dunkin Donut shops on each side of the street. Another theater, Supermarket and strip malls.
All of this can be done with committees, surveys and case studies, employing many people and agencies before ever one brick is laid. It can all be done for 800% on the tax dollar. The people of Fargo can go eat cake.
Even though it came late in the year DV’s astute politcal eye hit it right on the head, “The real story here is the ongoing dispute between the two bitter political factions that has held Pittsfield hostage for a generation” – selfish political hand outs and nepotism has helped demorilize and cripple this once great City -does LT have the political stomach to push back ? Her appointments next month will tell all…..what politcal cherries will her recycled supporters get ?
Pittsfield politics is in a 4 decade long downward spiral. Thousands of people have moved out of Pittsfield, Thousands of jobs have been lost in Pittsfield. And once jobs are lost, they ain’t comin’ back, Jack (Welch)! Pittsfield politics has high taxes, big spending, and huge debts. Pittsfield politics is going to reach its tax levy ceiling under Prop. 2.5 within the next 4 fiscal years. Pittsfield politics is going to become financially insolvent and then bankrupt within the next decade.
The lovely Linda Tyer will unite Pittsfield politics and solve all of Pittsfield’s socioeconomic problems, thereby turning the tide and reversing Pittsfield politics’ downward spiral. And “Pigs have wings and fly”!
The lovely Linda Tyer is going to be Ruberto 2.0!
Another great piece from The Planet. The anti-gang money and the TDIF for Tyler Street will be lost money. By that I mean it won’t address let along fix the systemic problems.
It will as DV suggests create “make work” jobs for those with connections.
The truth is the city Council spent way too much time and whether the V P should be electric and not enough time on other important matters
A disturbance of some sort over at City Hall, probably a disgruntled employee outside the Mayor’s office. Let poor Tes leave in peace, he’s had a bad year.
Maybe someone’s road was not plowed and sanded to their liking.
Yea, Nick has become the council’s intellectual giant. I think he later added to that quote by saying it was Super Funky and Super Fuzzy. My favorite was during questioning on such issues as traffic, litter and safety for the new Cumberland Farms store and Nick said that his biggest concern was that the store sell food grown in the ground. BTY…Had he actually visited the store before, he might have known that it always carries a large selection of fresh fruit and a variety of per-packaged salads.
Isn’t he the guy that quit his job with the school department so he could serve on the city council? This guy cares enough about his city give up a nice paying job to serve the people and that is surely commendable.
When Cumberland Farms first came to the Berkshires it was all Milk. Then quickly changed to serve the cig and candy crowd.
Just a matter of time before T R U M P 2 0 16 starts calling Bill Clinton, a dirty old man. He’s almost there.
It’s hard for Hildabeast to cry about a war on women when Slick Willy is her husband.
It’s hard for Hildabeast to cry about a war on women when Slick Willy is her husband.
He’s not almost there Bill is now old enough to be a dirty old man.
Sol, please retread my post for content and didregard personalities. That’s the only way we will change things.
Maybe Funky is into Supa Freak.
With graft based politics the 15 million dollar bid has NO chance in Pittsfield.
And by the way, I am reading a book that keeps using the term “money laundering”. Does anyone out there have any idea what they are talking about as it confounds and confuses me.
I also enjoy hearing G@etani’s posts…..let the ideas flow.
Please tell Mr. G to go away. He spoke and we listen, Now go away.
Guess what, guess again. let’s all discuss ideas whether or not we like who puts them forward.
WFA–I am in complete agreement with you
So who is this group that received the 5 million bucks? There website says essentially nothing
http://www.pittsfieldcommunityconnection.com/
I mean besides the typical I love puppy dogs and apple pie in the fall is nice. Why no mention of the 5 Million dollar grant being awarded? No blog discussion regarding the triumph of navigating the way through all the governmental challenges? No photo-op pictures with appointed and elected officials? No link to the document submitted that garnered them the grant so the entire community can understand why the grant was awarded and what we can do to help?
Pay close attention on the website to the who we are and what we do sections these are people who should understand social media, its significance yet little to nothing on the website?
Come on connection tell us who you are, what impact you have made and the impact you plan on making with our 5 million, how we can look forward to seeing improvement in our City and when?
Just sayin
It won’t be long before we see what the Tyer Agenda will be…Terry Kinnas. Does anyone have a clue who she will select? The LOw HUG,set the tone.
one of my posts with good information about the new sewer plants is gone????
Could someone explain the Biddeford reference above?
What was the definitive cost for the resurrection of Taconic High School. From certain City Council members their reasoning on that was they heard??? It was in the range???? then the caveat, but we pay with no help from the state, which by the way is the taxpayer??? Is this Rocket Science? This might also have been an illegal vote. Anybody, please comment on this before it’s to late!
Thank the Heavens for the Planet!
Soon we will a new Mayor that promised road clear of snow, no pot holes, more police officers, a City that won’t run out of salt, reduced crime, St Mary’s saved, and on and on. Can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Her supporters can sure dish it out criticism – let’s see how she takes criticism & there will be plenty. #toomanypromises
Remember when people were worried about Hillary getting elected and what Bill would be doing behind the scenes well we might have the same thing and Pittsfield