STABBINGS, SHOOTINGS OFFER OPPORTUNITY FOR HON … plus … THE BB: DAMNED IN PRINT, DAMNED IN DIGITAL … CAN NEW OWNERS CHANGE THAT?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016) — Well within a room-service call from Hotel On North (HON) over the weekend, the low-lifes and scum who have assumed a majority position in Pittsfield treated residents to a serious stabbing and a shooting. THE PLANET checked the blueprints for the final phase of Streetscape, North Street’s “revitalization” plan that’s already well past the “use by” date; we could find no mention of stabbings and shootings being part of the “renaissance.”
Information on the stabbing in the 100 block of Linden Street and the gunplay at Union and Center has been tough to come by. The Pittsfield Police Department has not made any arrests in the two incidents, a reflection not so much on the PPD but on the sheer number of such incidents now guaranteed to be a part of any downtown weekend. Perhaps Downtown Pittsfield Inc. can start billing these events as “performance art” in time for the arrival of bored tourists to HON and second home owners about to descend.
After being transported to Berkshire Medical Center, the young man shot in the stomach left the hospital against medical advice. He refused to say anything about the shooting, including the name of the trigger puller. Nah, nothing suspicious about that.
HON guests should be informed that this type of action has become a regular occurrence a short-par-3 from its revolving door. It’s called Fairness in Advertising.
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Speaking of advertising, the new owners of The Boring Broadsheet might have done better buying a TV station. That’s where most of the media ad revenue is going. Print newspapers, as we know, are becoming as relevant as, well, yesterday’s newspaper. Young people do not read, much less buy, newspapers, whose readership is aging out year-by-year. If The BB‘s new owners plan to convert to a mainly digital format, it might want to rethink the strategy. While the volume of digital ads continues to increase, digital ad rates are in a free-fall without a chute, limiting digital media’s profitability to “break even.”
According to USA Today (April 25, 2016 Michael Wolff 1-2B) two companies control more than half the nation’s digital advertising: Facebook and Google. This leaves less than half for the countless other digital media. If The BB counts on digital ads to drive profitability, the owners will face a long haul of a heavy load with muddy wheels. If the owners merely want bragging rights at the country club and can afford the losses, no problem.
The BB has two choices: Throw its revenue into the print product or digitize. Neither has much appeal. Clearly print holds the best bet for short-term profits. Long-term, this plan is a loser. On the other hand, if they digitize, they will complete for nickels and dimes to support the large overhead.
If The BB wants to sell papers, it must overhaul the editorial product. Hiring more staffers alone won’t do a thing. Should it choose to remain a house organ for “Fake, Feel-Good Pittsfield,” a city that doesn’t exist except in the fictions and fabrications of the Special Interest groups, the newspaper shall continue its decline. If, however, the new owners make the paper relevant again, it will stop with the puff pieces; grow some balls; establish an investigative unit; publish fewer wire stories; print more hard-hitting local news; fire all current columnists starting with Alan Chartock and replace them with good writers who have something to say and aren’t afraid of controversy; and above all give its readers tough, edgy coverage of city politics.
Frankly, we don’t see it happening, though THE PLANET must, along with everybody else, wait and see.
One thing to watch will be how the new ownership affects policy making, particularly in editorial and the ad-sales-marketing department. It’s hard to glean much from the initial statements made by the new ownership group, but if they make the classic mistake of expecting the digital product will “replace traditional publishing both as a means of distribution and a revenue generator” (Wolff 2B), they’re going to lose their shirts. It won’t matter, of course, if these guys have shirts to burn.
They might want to save their monetary hides and make Dan Valenti an offer he can’t refuse, but sources close to DV say they don’t have enough money in the vault for that to occur. Too bad for The BB. The new owners could use a savior right about now.
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“There’s a kind of hush, all over the world, tonight. All over the world you can hear the sound of lovers in love.” — Herman Hermits, “Kind of Hush.”
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Rutberg’s only experience with this type of endeavor consisted of being a paper boy for Zig, Zag early in his youth.
We definitely need tough, edgy coverage of city politics as the powers that be continue to destroy the city.
Did anyone see the article in the BB that May 13th or Friday the 13th will be the official groundbreaking day for the new Taconic. Kathleen Amuso said she was born on a Friday the 13th so the project will be off to a great start. This arrogant statement of course completely ignores any concerns of Pittsfield residents about the need for this project, but it certainly shows how out of touch the supporters of this project continue to be. A good local media would be giving lots of news coverage to this disconnect between the citizens and those in charge of this project.
Correct Pat and a strong daily newspaper would havebeen all over the fix for this unneeded new school 10 yrs in the making. It would have vetted the project and demanded a vote for we the citizens.
Pat, you overstate the Taconic opposition daily and it’s getting boring. The city just had a mayoral race in which the two frontrunners both supported the new school. That means voters either support the school or don’t hate it enough to vote for CG. You can offer your opinions on the school all day long but it’s BS to claim voters had no say in the matter.
You are one of the few people on this site who is in support of a new Taconic. It’s not BS to claim that voters had no say in the matter. They didn’t get a vote plain and simple. Support of this unnecessary project is truly what is boring. Schools are not economic engines. People who believe that are living in a fantasy world.
Who said anything about engines? You’re the one who’s stuck on that.
Linda Tyer called the new Taconic an “economic engine” in her letter to Dan V. when he was asking her questions about the city finances. She believes and do many locals that the new school will be an “economic engine”. To me economic engines are companies that hire people. Taconic will not be hiring anyone. It will be a new school with the same teachers and administrators. They seem to think that people will want to move here if we have a new school, but people would only want to move here if we have actual jobs not for a new school.
A new Taconic, however, will be an economic engine for the construction companies working on the new school and for the Pittsfield School System. The Pittsfield schools will have even more reason to demand more money from the city. Cost overruns from the new school, things they didn’t anticipate from the building of a new school such as the latest being money for offsite graduation during the transition phase of the closing of one school and the opening of the new one which will happen at the same time as the 2017 or 2018 graduation, I can’t remember which one it will be.
The new school being built was not properly discussed and sold to the community. Yes both Mayoral candidates supported it. How one can draw the conclusion that therefore means the community as a whole supports the school is a giant leap.
The school is yet another glaring display of a lack of leadership and vision. The community could have been rallied to support that project if in fact it was shown as needed and was an inclusive project. Instantly the project was set up by the “authorities” as if you oppose it your “anti-child” or against education. Sides were drawn instead of consensus being built. Is that what a leader of a community is charged with? Building walls between the citizens? Calling people names and pitting them against each other no matter how politely done simply shows a lack of leadership as well as a lack of value or selling points for a project, any project not just the new school. It’s called building a community.
In order for this new school to really succeed it will need the support of the entire community, the School department and the City officials have missed that mark. Do you think that was a coincidence? I am relatively certain that they knew that it would be a tuff sell, none of them seen fit to do the heavy lifting and show the community the need and the value for a new building. We here today will be unable to determine its effectiveness the future however will not lie we and our children will reap the rewards for what was sown.
just sayin
The decision wasn’t just sudden. It was a ten year slog that any of us could have participated in. Failing that, we had the option of choosing CG for mayor if we really wanted to send a message about the new school. But we didn’t. Nope, this is only an issue on the pages of the Planet. Prove me wrong.
Cat you have already been proven wrong. No referendum binding or otherwise. Most meetings held at inconvenient times. Huge lack of information about the project all along. Outright lies about cost, financing and many other aspects. No straight answer from anyone to DVs question of PCBs. Rigged system such as appointees to SBNC. Shall I continue? Only an issue on the Planet? Well maybe its because only the Planet dared to question the whole shebang.
It won’t take that long to discover the worth of building a completely new school for a declining population of students. Springfield, MA did the same thing about 15 years or so ago and they have found that the new school wasn’t an “economic engine” for that area.
Totally agree with you about the way things are done in this city. They don’t try to build any kind of feeling of community for projects instead they just do what they want.
Distressed Cat,
Sudden ? not sure where that came from as you can see above Happy has in fact mentioned the fact the project was in play for 10 years. Yes the meetings were conveniently timed and controlled as to elicit the desired outcome. I can go on however we can just agree to disagree. Your comment about no place other than the Planet, where else is there? So now we are supposed to feel bad as we are the most enlightened citizens of the city? Sorry wont happen
We agree on more than you think. I’m only calling out Pat for the ongoing narrative about a “disconnect between the citizens and those in charge” when in reality the outrage over the school is limited to the 130 some odd folks who voted for CG.
Someone also went into a local car dealership on Tyler Street this past weekend and slashed cars causing over $30,000.00 in damage.
You think it was a disgruntled customer?
These dirt bags that refuse to cooperate with police after being shot and stabbed should immediately be charged with obstruction.
I agree Paul. There is a person at large with a gun that is not afraid to pull the trigger. Just a matter of time before the first innocent bystander gets hit. Now we wait for retaliation.
There are lots of opportunities upon which the Eagle could capitalize if they got more consultative with their sales process; actually asking local businesses what they need and listening rather than trying to ram their prepackaged, out dated solutions down peoples’ throats. Did you know they don’t even collect, nor do they have a database of email addresses!?!
The eagle died long ago, it was kept afloat and aloft only because it sold its soul to be close to the politicians and powerful. The Editorial staff and brain trust was either not intellectually aware or wise enough to learn and understand their market, its needs, nor its values. They suffer from we know what’s best for you and will give you what we think you need. Your needs, values and beliefs be dammed take what we give you mentality. Rarely if ever have they explored in depth in a meaningful manner both sides of any issue, if the politicians and powerful said they here by bestow this project on the people then the eagle would cheerlead and crush any whiff of dissent.
The eagle had a time and place to be relevant, they could have and in my opinion should have brought the conversation to every doorstep in the county. That conversation being how will we develop and evolve as a community? It is 40 or more years too late for them to initiate or even have a meaningful word at the table for that conversation they squandered their voice and our opportunity. Mind you not our last opportunity but their last opportunity, do you think it is coincidence very few people subscribe to the eagle and fewer yet trust what they read in it? Like the guy who was stabbed and refused to give details, they to coward from their responsibility to the community at large.
You want me to take your newspaper? Well become one first.
Just sayin
Very well said. I totally agree with all of your thoughts.
I wish DV & would stop making Pittsfield seem like a bad place to live. I agree with Paul, if the fools that get shot or stabbed, refuse to tell police who did it, then they should be charged. But DV & like to blame the City, Mayor, School Dept., and Police.
who the hell is amp
???
No we are blaming the system in place that allowed the city to get to this point. A lot of that blame has to go to the people in charge. They are plotting the direction of this city. It their policies that have created our current situation.
I have always felt that some[more than one] police officers should be on foot and out of the cars. Patrol North street and some of the streets off North Streets, I know sometimes you see a officer but not enough and not long enough.
remember, when seconds count – help is a few minutes away. Foot patrols sound good, but until you have “extra” folks working – a cop in a cruiser is still the best way to handle any volume of calls.
Why can’t they park the cruiser and walk around an area. They have portable radios.
I have seen police cars late at night parked way back in the back of the ball park for very long periods of time. Also the soft ball field on Barker Rd behind the building is popular as well. I’m sure other people have seen this. I always figure they are resting up so they can get their ot doing traffic duty the next day.
They want to be nice and fresh for crime fighting.
One would think that the chief might devote a few nights each month to checking up himself on the night shift. I guess he’s too busy doing other things. But he’s real good at doing fluff stuff. I’ll bet he could cut a hell of a ribbon just like Tyer and Bianchi.
Where is the softball field on Barker Road?
Just look at the Pittsfield Police crime blotter from midnight on. Sometimes there are NO police calls. Your trying to tell me bad guys don’t drive cars anymore?
Foot patrols might not be the only answer but a officers on north street getting to know the public and making the public feel safer is worth it. If they have a relationship with people on there beat who knows what they might find out. And from the looks of some of them it wouldn’t hurt them to do some walking.
Didn’t CG call for most of the downtown beat cops to be on foot patrol?
The cops are afraid to do foot patrols down there. They would be easy targets.They are hiding out and someone just blew their cover.
If some bad ass gets shot and he ain’t being at all helpful he needs to sit in the emergency room and wait until all the flu cases are dealt with. It seems unfair to me that someone who breaks a leg skiing should not have to wait for care because some gang banger who is not going to help the police or the community, is tying up a bed and several doctors. If they are so damn tough then sit in the waiting room with everyone else.
Skiing? Slippery slope. What about the hippocratic oath?
Oaths are not worth the verbiage wasted on them. All politicians take an oath and almost none of them have any intention of living by it. And quite frankly I think the Hippocratic oath is not worth much more than a politicians oath these days.
Ironically, when a gang member takes an oath it probably has real value. Go figger.
Good old Boys have an oath?
I saw the Water boy on TV tonight. I think its safe to say He’s finally jumped off the deep edge. Insults after insults.
Yup, you were watching and,G Man was in the trenches.
who?
http://wncn.com/2016/04/20/25-worst-cities-in-the-us-for-opioid-prescription-abuse/
xxxxRed, I’ve been watching your posts for quite a while and I have to say that you bring a very low level of discourse to this blog. I hope that someone has the good sense to get rid of your posts.
Maybe you think only ring kissing rump swabs should speak in the public session but most taxpayers are very hapy to see that someone speaks truth to power.*****
In myopinion more people should speak in the public session and express their discontent for the way Pittsfield has been run for the last 50 years….Our politicans are only there to manage the decline not end it.
I’d like to follow up on a comment made yesterday about the speaker in the public session at the Pittsfield city council meeting. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the speakers presentation. I just watched it on a PCTV rebroadcast and I encourage all of you to watch it next time it replays or you can stream it. Posters like “Red Armstrong” should be excluded from this blog if they can’t refrain from lying.