EVEN OUTSIDE UTOPIA, IN THE ‘REAL WORLD,’ THERE ARE LIFE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION SEPT. 20-22, 2019) — That was the week that was. This one will be, too.
THE PLANET with SU Chancellor Kent Syverud.
Last weekend, THE PLANET visited the campus of Syracuse University, where we addressed students in the journalism, business, and engineering schools. We told them nothing of importance other than to work hard, be accountable for your actions, do what you say you’re going to do, and when making tough decisions get all the information you can. If it’s still a toss up, go with your gut — every time.
We also advised not abusing alcohol and to hold off on sex until marriage. That came on the eve of a giant football homecoming weekend. You can guess how those last two gems prospered.
The football to which we referred had the nation’s #1 team, the Clemson Tigers, visiting the Carrier Dome for the Orange’s home opener before a SRO crowd of 50,000, the Goodyear Blimp, and a nationwide TV audience. The student body was, shall we say, in an exuberant mood. Clemson did its best to dampen it with a 41-6 thrashing of the Orange. Nonetheless, the partying continued — students then, students now, and students forever.
Of secondary interest, we report the amazing growth, development, and forward thrust being undertaken at SU under the leadership of Chancellor Kent Syverud. The Dome, for instance, is in the midst of a $118 million overhaul. At least a dozen other major projects are in various stages of completion, including the National Veterans’ Resource Center on Marshall Street and a revamp of the Student Center. Syverud has handled the many major challenges that are the adjunct of a job like his with a perfect amount of listening and acting. As a leader, he knows when to throttle up and when to throttle down.
THE PLANET outside Newhouse III, Journalism School, SU.
The lesson for all organizations, from football teams to corner offices to, from parade organizers to police chiefs, is that wise leadership fosters growth and improvement. Poor management produces failure and regression.
———- ooo ———-
From Syracuse, it was on to Boston and Fenway Park to meet with front office types and catch a couple games. Not saying the Sox will name Dan Valenti the next team president to succeed the late Louie Dombrowski, who returned to the sweet shop to rejoin Slip and Satch, but we offered our two bits to an ownership that has produced four World Series titles in 15 years.
As for the games, Sox vs. Giants, the highlight was seeing “Yastrzemski, lf” in the lineup once again, then seeing Yaz homer for the first time in Fenway since July 1983. Mike Yastrzemski hit his Tuesday night with his grandfather, Carl, watching. Felipe Alou, by the way, threw out the first ball to Pedro Martinez. Alou was teammate of the great Charlie Garivaltis at for AA Springfield Giants in 1957-58. Pedro was in uniform, looking like he could give you a couple innings.
Here, too, at 112-year-old Fenway, we see the tangible results of strong leaders. It’s not just the championship banners but also management’s grasp of a vision. When John Henry and group purchased the Sox, they invested in the park and brought a crumbling relic back to full health, complete with the amenities demanded by today’s fan base. In concessions, merchandising, marketing, customer service, infrastructure, press relations, and countless other areas, leadership’s vision was to provide unexcelled quality — a far cry from when Tom Yawkey and successors fossilized failure, kept incompetents on the job, and hired for the ranks the crankiest churls.
Leadership matters. Elect good ones and things get better. Elect bad ones and life gets worse. It’s an object lesson for the floundering city of Pittsfield.
————————————————————————————————————
The key to a job is to realize that nothing is “work” unless you make it so. Everything in life is play” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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The lovely Linda Tyer is the BEST Mayor of Pittsfield, EVER! Please vote for Linda Tyer in 2019!
I’d rather eat Michael Moore’s bellybutton lint.
Some teen boys have pictures of super models over their beds. Then, there are men who have pictures of Linda Tyer over their bed …and on their walls…maybe 100 or so of them…and let’s not forget all the candles…and the fried dough…and the Mountain Dew cans.
Nothing new from Jonathan folks. Just move along.
Jonathan,
Post your address and the lawn signs are on the way. People from here shopping up in New Hampshire buying their booze,cigs and everything else to avoid the sales tax will see them. Hey! Our fearless politicians do it from Massachusetts.
Melle, readers view your postings with extreme cynicism. As redundant and sophomoric as your Tyer love rants are; keep it up, you are actually casting negative support and hurting her chances. But there again your OCD won’t allow rational change.
SallySays,
Totally, utterly, and absolutely amazing, that with all the incompents elected on a state, national, and local level over the years, that our country is still number one. But we’re headed in the wrong direction, on all three levels. I hear Tyer is gonna take it to the people and see them on their porches to get her message out. It’s not because we’re not aware of her “accomplishments”, that Mazzeo gave her a whoopin, quite the opposite actually. The more Tyer talks of her “accomplishments”, the more she’ll sink her own ship.
SALLY
Good observation. That we have survived such incompetence for so long shows you just how far we were ahead of everyone else. No longer. China is the rising #1, the Pacific Rim earns 80% of all the world’s PH.D.s in technology and science, while our “leaders” condone pupils walking out of class on Friday to protest “climate change.” As for the Tyer-Mazzeo dynamics, THE PLANET has much more to come in the coming weeks. As always, stuff you won’t get anywhere else.
They don’t just condone it, they are going out of their way to push their far left beliefs on these young people while ignoring the important news in the country.
Climate change is real, not fake news. Backed by evidence. Whether schools should allow students out of school for a climate change protest is another matter. I think it is a meaningless exercise. Go to school, study hard, change the world.
Keep in mind the supply of idiot politicians is not limited to Americans. I met the mayor of Oslo who gave our group a short tour of the city. I asked her about the manhole covers (probably “personhole” covers in Norwegian) which all had the same figure on it. She responded that this figure was a famous Norwegian hero who won some battle that she carefully l described and I quickly forgot. She was not happy when I observed that most countries put statues up for their heroes rather than put them on sewer covers.
Funny story, CHUCK! “Personholes.” Love it.
”I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping…..
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping……
Nobody told you
How to unfold your love…..
Someone controlled you
They bought and sold you…..
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Well…
You were diverted
You were perverted too
You were inverted
No one alerted you……
I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping
I look from the wings at the play you are staging…….
Look at you all
As I’m sitting here doing nothing but aging“
“Anytime at all, all you gotta do is call, and I’ll be there.”
Dan that is what Tyer said during her campaign four years ago. But she got lost along the way when special interests came a calling for their due.
“I’ve got to admit it’s getting better
A little better all the time
(IT CAN’T GET NO WORSE)”
“Now give me money. That’s what I want. That what I want-hant-hant-hant yeah. That’s what I want.”
“Two of us riding nowhere
Spending someone’s
Hard earned Pay”
“She was a working girl, north of England way. No she’s hit the big time in the U.S.A.”
“When your prized possessions start to weigh you down…
When your bird is broken will it bring you down…..
You may be awoken…
You tell me that you’ve heard every sound there is
And your bird can swing
But you can’t hear me, you can’t hear me“
“I’m looking through you. Where did you go? I thought I knew you. What did I know?”
“Oh, How long will it take?
Til she Sees the mistake
She has made?”
“You were above me, but not today
The only difference is you’re down there
I’m looking through you, and you’re Nowhere
You don’t sound different, I’ve learned THE GAME”
Dan,
Nice piece on leadership and you related it nicely to Politicians at the end. Look at football teams for more examples.- Belechick , Lombardi, or Walsh.
What grade do our local leaders rank – mayor, schools chief, DA , star reps and senator?
J-99
Thanks. Leadership is not the intangible that some make it sound. Good leadership produces tangible results. It is the bricks-and-mortar results of executive action. It was vividly on display at both SU and Fenway Park.
Why does Tyer want $140,000 from the GE Economic Fund “to support the lab” run by EMA at the BIC? How long are taxpayers going to be asked to turn over money for any tom-dick&harry enterprise that blows into town? Why can’t EMA cough up that money? The city of Pittsfield is already providing a brand new building!!
Just another good ol’ fleecing…..add them to lonnngggg list.
This is going to be a Beacon plus level of fleecing.
Space test chambers of any size are extremely expensive. Even “tiny” room sized chambers are in the tens of millions of dollars.
$2 million to not create but move jobs for existing employees from Colorado to here.
Mayor Linda Tyer is buying votes at $333k a pop
For the record there is never any kickbacks or other palm greasing during these handouts. Just ask anybody named Stanley or George.
Or Joyce Bernstein and Larry Rosenthal. Spice.
Or EV Worldwide. Or WorkshopLive!. Or … it would take too long to list the number of times Pittsfield have been taken to the cleaners by these carpetbagger who promise everything and deliver next to nothing. The principals walk away with a tidy sum. The taxpayers remain, stuck with the bill.
Maybe she’s in bed with these guys.
Danny, Maybe you know David Schmolover, the CEO of WorkshopLive, since he lived in your Tony Town of Stockbridge with his car sporting State of Connecticut license plates. Tyer as the Ward 3 city councilor, at the time of the $750,000 give away was ever supportive of the Ruberto Faux Paw. In BED together.
Dan
You missed nuclea biosystems, which sold snake oil to cancer sufferers.
Yes. Nuclea, along with EV Worldwide, was and is the granddaddy of these types of scams. Will there be more to come? To God, let’s hope not, if for no one’s sake other than Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.
JA
Agreed. There are NEVER any bribes, kickbacks, or cash-stuffed envelopes involved. NEVER.
EMA is a very small company that has inflated their employment numbers and “global reach”
It’s a company that says it has 500 employees, at most it’s had 23. Of those 23 employees, about 10 are “associate consultants” that are consultants for other companies in foreign markets. They are glorified outside sales engineers.
The largest contract EMA has had for testing of any kind from the government in the last few years was $180k.
Ask yourself, if one of the principals of the company, left the company to do contract work at GD, because GD couldn’t find people with expertise in the area
What does that say about the EMA3D if a principal of the company leaves for 6 years to do contract work?
When they say six new jobs created, these won’t be new jobs for Berkshire people, this will be jobs for existing employees that will move here. It’s not like the local colleges, BCC, Williams, MCLA are cranking out rocket scientists.
Why Pittsfield? Because one of the principals has a job here, we are an easy mark, and the senior principal is going to retire and the existing principal who has been working for GD as a contractor for 6 years wants to bring existing employees here.
If you were going to build a “space test chamber” wouldn’t you build it closer to where more “space companies” are? Granted general dynamics is here but most “space companies” are not here and GD is one contractor and there are a couple others locally but if you are “building an empire” which they haven’t succeeded in doing in the last 30 years of the company, build closer to the “space ships”
So we have a company who has misrepresented their global reach, the number of employees they have, who’s principal has been so busy building an empire he’s worked as a contractor for GD for the past six years…and Mayor Linda Tyer is going to give them, what will amount to $2million plus is monies and TIFFs To create 6 jobs, which will all be imported employees.
Does that sound like a good deal?
PR
Good report. I, too, think the cost-benefit is not to Pittsfield’s advantage. But this is an election year. Expect more rosy news.
The PEDA empty building could not be less attractive,why do people build these off designs.I will take a nice rectangle structure…..is Trump a good leader?
FRITZ
How long, you ask? How about: For the foreseeable and unforeseeable future.
That is a huge boondoggle, the BIC built on a toxic waste dump. I would never set foot in it or allow school children to either.
Dan,
Where the heck was Jim Brown? They sure could have used him against the Tigers! That guy they say ,from 54-56 ate more linebackers for lunch than anyone else.
J2S
You got that right about needing Jim Brown. Actually, SU hung around for almost three quarters. 17-6 at half, with the Orange missing two golden scoring chances, coming away with 3 points instead of 14.
Thank you for sharing your weekend from the US’s #54 university, according to US News and World Report.
Our pleasure. Let’s see. There are almost 5,400 colleges and universities in the U.S. According to US Snooze and Whirled Report, then, SU places in the upper 1 percentile. Not bad. Of course, I could give you far more prestigious sources that places it much higher. Ah, but we won’t. It might spoil your stew.
I’m sure the Daily Orange has a conflated ranking. We should all be proud of our alma maters, unless its a made up school like ITT or the Lenox Water Institute.
Shakes got his diploma from short bus U.
or Trump college
Roman Nose, I thought you might have been to the game during your vacation. Here in Georgia I have been unable to find any results on the game. As always The Planet has the scoop, Thanks, Jack
This eagle coverage of the Walk in Her Shoes event against domestic violence pretty much sums up everything:
“The event took an ironic turn when two young women got into a fight over a mutual romantic connection. One of them was taken to the hospital with seemingly minor injuries after her head hit the sidewalk with a thud.”
So perfectly Pittsfield.
Yes, bring the kids to witness these model behaviors. Join in the assault, resist arrest. No charges will be filed.
Dan, To be mentioned with Felipe Alou is very nice. Felipe’s position was center field and mine was left field. Felipe was special. He had a cannon for an arm, fast as a halfback, and routinely hit distant homers out of Springfield’s Pynchon Park. The very next year the Giants brought him up to play right field. His preferred position was center field but he wasn’t about to replace Willie Mays who is one of baseball all-time greats. So he was placed in right field where he remained for about 10 years. One of the nicest things about Felipe was he was always friendly, never pompous, a good teammate.
This is just one of numerous wonderful memories I have of my playing days. Here’s another. Playing against Syracuse’s Jim Brown, in my opinion not arguably, footballs best running back ever, Their 1956 Cotton Bowl team mopped up my Colgate team with Brown scoring a record 6 touchdowns against us. Never will I forget that thrashing.
I bet you cannot visit your alma mater without thinking of Jim Brown. Even much more than a half century later his name resonates with Syracuse University.
CHUCK
Great memories. When Felipe took the mound, I immediately thought of you. You’re right about bring on campus. One cannot be there, especially at SU football, without thoughts of the great Jim Brown. Your solo tackle of him, and the accompanying photo, is one of my favorite sports pictures. Agree that JB was and is the greatest RB in NFL history. Chancellor Syverud, by the way, is up on the history of SU football. Talked all night about Brown, Ernie Davie, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, Larry Csonka, and the like. When in such chats, I always tell the story of your tackle of JB!
Correct me if I’m wrong but weren’t there three Alou brothers in the majors at the same time?
MILT
Yes: Felipe, lf; Matty, cf; Jesus, rf. They appeared in a game for the Giants, the only time that has ever happened.
You forgot the lesser- known Alou brother; Boog Alou
Yes, and Looie Alou.
Not to many people could tackle Jim Brown one on one. Chuck did!
Sam Huff got a few licks in too.
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/60856/Space-Related-Company-Eyes-BIC-for-Testing-Center.html
What Tyer is hailing as “NASA here in Pittsfield” and “a milestone and momentous occasion for the people of our city”, coincidentally rolled out 2 days after her spanking by Mazzeo, is 6 whopping maybe jobs, at the end of next year, maybe. Don’tcha think maybe this announcement, at this time, maybe has an air of desperation to it.
The cost to us Kapanski’s, besides the millions wasted on the life science building – $140,000 of our money to purchase a testing chamber for the company, and a tax increment financing package, which is code for more free handouts. I smell an EV Worldwide, or is it Workshop Live, or a Muraca Mess. As Dan has pointed out before, if the business plan was so great, the company wouldn’t been Kapanski Cash to make it happen.
How about some real truth about the 400 plus phantom jobs, before you boast about 6, maybe, at the end of next year, maybe, which translates to maybe, 2021.
If this passes council muster, it will be another monumental waste of our money. Period.
We bribed another small group to join the PEDA site and that company has no equipment.
Check out the guy speaking at poison peda site man you can’t have a loose pink tie? Tyer looked like she hadn’t been doing the Mayors Challenge. Electro Magnetic? That was introduced in a electro-magnetic tin knocker for Bradley internal fighting Vehicles operation over at G E Ordinance, back in the nineties. Testing? What? Hourly jobs over at General Dynamics pay Sixty G.
Wasn’t John Baran the plant manager at the time? This is not new stuff. What a hose job this is making it sound like they did. Election time anyone? Any jobs coming here is a good thing for Pittsfield, but be upfront about expectations. I don’t care who is mayor now or future mayor just stop the stop sugar coating.
Wasn’t it nice of the usual photo op hogs (Hinds, TFB, ect.) to let the Mayor have all the spotlight during her re-election bid.
Tyer announces that local firm will send a probe to Uranus.
Heard from a few folks that Earl Persip is telling Pittsfield Firefighters to vote for Lovely Linda as Melissa is planning on cutting their jobs. Have not heard Melissa say this and I am rather disgusted that Persip is operating this way. Of course Persip basically sat in Lovely Linda’s lap at all of the Council meetings. Pittsfield dirty politics running strong and we have only begun.
And it may get ;much worse. Tyer has been following in Trumps shadow for most of her term echoing his nonsense and pushing fake news and accomplishments.
Desperation requires desperate behavior and you may see a lot of it and up close as the election nears. Be on the lookout and be wary. Don’t let anyone make a fool of you by buying into bullshit.
Earl the Pearl gets his Cliff Notes from The Dumpster Behind Paul Rich. Always keep that in mind when you hear this incompetent talk about politics or, actually, anything substantial. “Can’t touch this.”
The real real Earl the Pearl the former Baltimore Bullet and New York Knick 73 champion had more class. Monroe, Reed who was limping, Clyde and Bradley were one heck of a team.
A worthy opponent, to be sure. Bill Bradley, 6th man supreme. I loved Clyde at the point. And this comes from a die-hard Celtics fan. Loved when those two great teams battled, when Cowens centered. Pound-for-pound, Dave Cowens was the hardest, scrappiest player I ever saw. Other great names: Steve Kuberski, Paul Westphal, Jo Jo White, Paul Silas, Don Nelson, and Don Chaney.
One day all of the GE money will be gone and there will be nothing to show for it. Nothing.
Ironically that ten million dollar “gift” probably costs the taxpayers another ten million out of their packets. Once the cards were shuffled and dealt back out no one knew where the hell the pea was any more.
And don’t forget. GE and its lawyers laughed us out of the room before the ink was dry on the Consent Agreement. We had some serious bargaining chips, but GE had the legal wizards. We had Gerry Doyle and Tom Hickey. They had two buildings full of some of the sharpest legal minds in America. When they snookered us for remedial action plus a measly $10 million, they couldn’t contain themselves. I had many strong contacts at GE, including two of their top corporate lawyers. I’m telling you. They laughed us out of the building. As for the remedial actions, two points: (1) GE has fought everything every step of the way (2) the actions has done little to nothing to address the poisons they injected into Pittsfield’s land, air, and water.
Yup, and if we turned down the offer, which should have been at least 100 milliion plus a real cleanup, which means remvoving foundations, etc, we would have been paid way more by now in property taxes I bet. Does anyone know what the property taxes would have been, across all these years, added up? And remembers, councilors signed off on this.
The foundations were left there. All the soil underneath? Unremediated. Hill 78? Still there. Old timers, those who are still among us, talk of pollution dumps throughout the city, none reported, none investigated. Lord knows what is still there.
A F..nothing to show now.
In Ward six if I were Pat Kavey I would call out Lothrop out on the idea of increasing Council pay which he introduced and defeated,and it wasn’t for the amount Of work they do but an increase to assure a better quality of candidate,are you kidding? That was a slap in the face to the sitting City City Council at that time.
Be wise Mr. Kavey,Lothrop defeated Joe Breault by the slimmest of margins years ago because he said Breault,was for a Bar on the Old Munchies site. To this day who could figure Lothrop beating Joe with all the votes Joe received.
Not to mention he is imbedded with the special interests. Would be an automatic vote and rubber stamper for policies favoring special interests projects. Always has been always will be.
Rumor has it the ridiculous Stooge Morning Show will be dropped, do to lack of interest and viewing,along with content.
It seems to be a self promoting political identity,along with arts only content. Almost nothing to do with Students.
Dog owners, more non-sense legislation coming from mASS-democRATS. I’m sure the Left Winged Parrot won’t cover this.
Contact you state Reps.ASAP:
On Sept. 24, Massachusetts legislators will consider a bill that would literally ban outdoor dogs. Unless a dog owner is physically present, Senate Bill 990, sponsored by Sen. Mark C. Montigny (D- New Bedford), bans a person from confining or tethering a dog outside and unattended for more than 5 hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., or for more than 15 minutes between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Take Action Today! Massachusetts members should call their state legislators and ask them to vote NO on SB 990. Members can contact their legislators by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center Directory. The Joint Committee on The Judiciary hearing will be held at 1 p.m. in Room A-1 of the Capitol Building in Boston.
SB 990’s ban on keeping dogs outdoors applies even if a yard is fenced in, has shade trees and even if the dog has access to a shelter, kennel or doghouse. SB 990 applies for all 12 months of the year, regardless of weather conditions.
I actually do not think that is unfair. 5 hours is a long time for a dog to be left out. Why would more be needed? Especially if the dog is barking like mad and neighbors live close to the barking dog. If this is truly coming from Democrats, I can’t believe I actually agree with something they are proposing for the first time in a LONG time. I love all kinds of animals, but also believe that, especially in a city with people bunched tightly together, this is a good law. Maybe they could have different laws for country dogs vs. city dogs.
My dogs loved being outside. They only came in at night or when the weather was terrible. Food and water was always available and so was shelter from the elements.
Besides being happy they also kept unwanted two and four legged vermin off the property. Barking was only when a stranger trespassed or if animals presented a threat.
These mASSholes, think a one size fits all law, of their own pea brained design, should be imposed with little regard to it’s true impact and consequences.
Dogs are animals that are adapted to living outside and being cramped up inside is unnatural. An outside dog is a happy dog.
Dogs are pack animals. They just want, need, to be part of the pack. For most dogs, that pack is the family; they want to be in with the family, not tethered outside, alone and ignored for hours and hours on end. What a bleak life. I get that some people have a pack of hunting or herding dogs that live outside. They will create their own pack as long as there is more than k e. For an individual dog to be tied outside, separated from the pach for many hours at a time, is cruel and will foster cou tless insecurities.
Are you forgetting that almost all dogs are alone most of the day indoors? If there is water and some shelter the dogs outside are probably better off
Great comment, MR G. Yes, dogs want to be with their pack, which is (we all hope) their loving family. Agree with your comments about tethering a dog outside, alone. Thanks for the wisdom and common sense.
My dogs always roamed my property/farm free. They were trained not to cross the road or leave the property. If you have to fence/chain your dogs, You were a bad parent raising them.
They were much better off having fun chasing rabbits and woodchucks out of the garden, then some poor pooch waiting for it’s owner to come home so it didn’t piss/crap the carpet.
Maybe we should outlaw dogs altogether within city limits? Would make PETA happy!
I remember one particular friend/dog, he would be waiting at the end of the driveway, every weekday, for me to come home on the school bus.
Then we would go roam the fields and woods, sometimes hunting or fishing.
We didn’t have, nor were glued to, vidiot/cell devices back then.
We would have fun outside no matter the weather, hunting/fishing, sleding/sking/snowshoes, pickup baseball/football/basketball games.
My cats were also outdoor/indoor. Kept rodents in check, mostly didn’t use the litter box as they preferred to go “mark” their territory, outside.
The dogs got along with the cats, and even played together. Cat would pounce on the sleeping dog, then dog would chase cat under the porch. Sometimes they slept together.
Dan,
The term “common sense”, has been appropriated by the Liberals pushing their one sided agendas.
It might be “common”, but it/they makes no sense.
If you live out in a rural area and your closest neighbor is quite a distance away, I don’t see why dogs can’t be left outside, but in a city where people are packed in like sardines and there are so many distractions for dogs so that they bark constantly, that is annoying to neighbors. We have lots of dogs in our neighborhood and if they are all out at once, the noise level is unbelievable. They bark at other neighbor’s dogs. They bark at traffic. They bark whenever they see anybody move next door or walk by their own house. It can be really bad. Even closing windows doesn’t help.
Let’s hope those Sweet Adeline singers sing a swan for when Lothrop gets beat in Ward six. Swan songs also for Sturgen,Tyer, any,Taylor. Check out Ronnie Clements, the new deputy chief,deserves, kid when the adolines are singing. It says it all. And
What is Amused So doing on the license bored.
Visit Pittsfield to get your fix on lottery tickets, booze, marijuana, and welfare. Pittsfield attracts the “finest” in society! Just look at 21-year-old polluted and vacant PEDA. I think you’ll find Jimmy Ruberto’s rolodex there.
Are Pittsfield’s LED streetlights failing less than 6 months after installation? Williams St. is dark. A few lights on side streets are also dark.
Just browsed through 30 or so pictures of the Community BBQ In Pitt Park this afternoon.
Westside Resident representation: About 7%
Out of place White People: WTF (basically everyone)
What a completely disingenuous event.
But it shows that the mayor loves the west side and if they want more barbecues they will vote for her. If you like hot dogs Tyer is your candidate. She may even fill your potholes if you scream loudly enough but it better not be taking money away from special interest handouts.
Hot dogs for the west side and brand new electrical for Tyler st buds. Tax breaks? Oh yah, if you are a millionaire friend and can keep it quiet. Keep dat shit under the rug will ya?
I had posted prior of the many times when they have these community events in the west side to address crime related situations that occurred. Over the years these events are attended by mostly the white people from the west side area who live there and the white people from outside the west side area. Just look through the media clippings with photos of the audience and if you have attended one you will see the lack of minority participants. The picnic type events tend to draw more people which is a good thing but, where is the majority population that is affected the most? I know those who do show truly care about what is going on and want it to stop.
Johnny,
You are correct. Where are the leaders of the Westside calling out their own? Oh yeah, I forgot. It’s always everyone else’s fault.
On a quick political note, I was really glad when the Obama/Biden team were in the White Side, they took care of all the gun violence in the inner-city, in particular, Chicago.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/berkshire-legislative-delegation-gives-thumbs-up-to-15b-education-funding-overhaul-bill,585299
The bill, dubbed the Student Opportunity Act and unanimously endorsed by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education, would increase Chapter 70 aid to local schools by $1.4 billion. House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the funding boost does not involve plans for additional taxes.
(So there’s an extra $1.4 or $1.5 billion laying around?) the article bounces back and forth on the number because what’s $100 mil to a program? Just chump change.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, added: “I’m pleased with the significant amount of money Pittsfield could get under this bill.”
(More money to Pittsfield, seems they aren’t really concerned with money for anyone else)
How much depends, in part, on available revenue each fiscal year, Farley-Bouvier said. If an economic downturn occurs, she said, the seven-year plan could be stretched out over 10 years.
Farley-Bouvier believes the bill would level the playing field for school funding from the Berkshires to Cape Cod.
“The quality of education shouldn’t be done based on your ZIP code,” she said. “Studies have shown educating those living in poverty is more expensive than students from a stable home.”
(says the woman who choiced her children out of their school district into a more affluent one)
McCandless praised the Berkshire legislative delegation and Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer for backing more state money to improve local school systems.
(Mayor Linda Tyer was I guess instrumental in this)
So if I understand this there’s at least $1.4 billion laying around, there are no “plans” to increase taxes. The money is going to be spent on education, not infrastructure or anything else. By chance is there more money lying around for other projects and where is this money coming from. This revenue?
Can you spot the hidden message? $$$$$taxpayer$$$$$$$$$$$=$$$$$$$$$$$$suckers$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/18-degrees-starting-new-program-to-reach-at-risk-youths-in-north-adams,585425
There’s a new player in town to help young people at risk.
18 Degrees, formerly Berkshire Children and Families, is launching “West Main Connection,” an expansion of the 18 Degrees Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.
(Contradictory, sane player with a different name)
With funding provided through the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, West Main Connection will provide services that engage people ages 17 to 24 who are at the highest risk of being involved in criminal and/or gang activity.
The program employs street outreach, case management and mental health services — provided in partnership with the Brien Center — to support young people and connect them to community resources.
The goal of the program is to promote positive youth development and divert young people from activities that might lead them deeper into the criminal justice system.
(Notice how they subtly get the reader to think as 17-24 as youths? They transition from young people (not young adults) to youths.
Remember when DA Andrea Harrington said community partners were going to help with her restorative justice programs via diversion programs.
I had mentioned the programs will be tax payer funded and go to well connected local not for profits, well that has happened once again.
Why is it when programs are not successful, they just rename them and get more funding.
It’s also good to see they are focusing in 17-24 year “youths”.
A 7 year spread including minors and adult “youths”.
There’s that pesky minors are anyone under 25 again.
Here’s the list of problems with programs like this.
Research indicates that normative patterns are set by a very early age. Now they sometimes change slightly but the base models of acceptable behavior are established by early teens.
It’s extremely time consuming, labor intensive, and costly to change the normative behaviors of a 23 year old versus a 13 year old… but what does this program focus on? The group with the least likelihood of success that will cost the most. They frame it under a youth program because they’ve included only one year that qualifies as a “minor” or “juvenile” but the majority (6 years won’t).
PR
You nailed it. When a program fails, The Suits do three things: (1) Rename it. (2) Extort more money from taxpayers. (3) Expand and hire more staff to create a power base. All politics, baby. All politics. The impetus behind such doomed-to-fail “do-good” programs is an entire generation of parents who have abandoned their posts. Social programs will NEVER take the place of good parenting. Things like 18 Degrees are a tacit admission of the continual breakdown of public life in Pittsfield.
PR,
Excellent post. I think you left out an important fact. DA Harrington cut the DA office-run education and prevention programs and fired all the staff who are now working elsewhere or looking for jobs.These were very successful and well received by the schools because they focused on the group you are most likely to reach – elementary and middle school kids.
Remember the Sharon Grant? Pittsfield Community Connection?
I totally agree with Dan that these programs will never do the work parents should be doing. Handing out discipline, values, decency…wayyyyyy before age 17!
The problem with diverting people age 17-24 is the fact that there’s nothing to divert them to. More of the same shitty life they are most likely leading – poor, detached, with shitty parents, little education and no good paying jobs. What are they diverting them to?
Phil,
How about the US Armed Forces ? Equal opportunity employer. Worked wonders for many people including Johnny.
Once again, proof positive that the students are running the schools; at PHS, climate activist students staged a 10:15 am Friday walkout with support from the principal, for political purposes.
Protests should be staged for the weekends in order not to interfere with schooling!
The kids are being brainwashed….
https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2019/09/20/nolte-climate-experts-are-0-41-with-their-doomsday-predictions/
So true Gigi. 16 years olds do not have the brain capacity until they are 21 to be held responsible for certain crimes according to far left District Attorneys, but we need to allow a complete government takeover based on the thoughts of these 16 years old regarding climate change.
All for the sake of the carbon tax….
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/09/20/environment-canada-destroys-inconvenient-climate-data/
Fritz,
Protest on the weekend? No chance! Kids won’t show up in the numbers they get while they have them penned up for daycare. The administration knows this.
You are so right, Johnny!
This was all about hooky — administration-sanctioned, but hooky nonetheless.
Why our DA’s employees who used to do massive amounts of work for the people of Berkshire County are now playing basketball at the park during work hours…1. Don’t prosecute a whole category of crimes police have arrested people for. 2. Bring in prosecutors from outside to handle the tough cases 3. Kill the community outreach and education programs. 4. Hire the DA’s campaign workers to do nothing but campaign for themselves. 5. Send the DA to places like Portugal and Selma, Alabama. 6. Close the office daily at 4:30.
DA Andrea Harrington is “out to lunch” as is, it seems, most of her office.
The shooter lives in the city, is known by both law enforcement and witnesses but there’s no movement on the case. Mayor Tyer, Chief Wynn, and DA Andrea Harrington’s plan is to schedule a picnic during the middle of a work day as “show of strength and solidarity” with the Westside. This is the worst of “photo-op politics”.
Chief Wynn has had 20 plus years to “do something” Mayor Linda Tyer has decades to do something and 4 years as mayor and things are much worse.
DA Andrea Harrington, 20 years of legal “experience” with 8 petty crime trials to show for it, no social activism (if you go deep background on her “innocence project” work it’s a farce, and now she’s an expert on justice.
If we, the citizens of Pittsfield, continue to fall for this, it’s our own fault.
This would be funny if it weren’t so serious. A DA willing to obfuscate the truth about anything including her record is pretty scary.
I do get many details have to remain unsaid about the shooting for the investigation. It’s so they can get the best possible airtight case against the suspect (s). But I think some details and insight about how the investigation is going are being slow rolled somewhat because of the upcoming election at hand.I hope I’m wrong though on this.
Maybe the D A office we’re tryingto lure the killer to the pRk figuring if hey don’t show for free hamburgers it probably the perp. One problem,no one showed up.
Good one. Maybe they were hoping he would bite into a hamburger which they could then sneak up and grab and get a DNA sample from it. At least some good might have come out of this picnic instead of just being a photo op.
The far left District Attorneys claim that young people 21 and under do not have fully developed brains so they cannot be responsible for crimes they commit except for violent crimes, but a 16 year old can stand in the middle of a large crowd of other 16 year olds and tells us that climate change is about to destroy the planet in 10 years and we are not only to take them seriously, but allow a complete government takeover based on their theories.
Does anyone see a serious problem with this logic and see the hypocrisy coming from the far left?
No matter what you say Pat ,your President is Don Trump asking a 2nd country to undermine America’s elections.
No matter what I say the far left wants to “get” Trump. That is theirs and your obsession. No other issue matter. Total government takeover, no cars, no planes, no weapons. Let’s turn this country into a place worse than Venezuela without ANY discussion about it.
Why does Trump use America like an ex girlfriend.
We’re those hamburgers 100 percent organic fed beef?
and who got to take home all the food that was not used? Just curious?
Bouvier probably ate it
She was browsing then took home the haystack!!!
Perhaps a topic for another day but this administration seems to have a lot going on with the parks department. Lots of big projects sucking up lots of taxpayer money. Not suggesting collusion or anything but the extent is unprecedented. Could this be part of the forensic audit the next mayor will be doing?
JA
I’m wondering how many times they will find more excuses to tear up and rebuild Clapp Park. I remember when the great Chuck Garivaltis served on the Parks Commission, he was the first to raise these concerns. That’s when they hired a consultant at $65,000 to tell them to install an expensive drainage system, reconfigure the track and diamond, and basically fence off the park into sections. Bad work at a huge cost. There have been at least two other major projects, including the current one that has the area in front of the playground (where the basketball court used to be). Follow the money.
The lie that is DA Andrea Harrington’s form of Restorative Justice.
The original concept of restorative justice (and still most ways it is considered today, was and is to bring criminal and victim together, when appropriate, to try and heal the fracture in the community.
It requires that the perpetrator actually take responsibility for their actions, that the perpetrator is educated in the damage his or her actions inflict on society, and in some cases there is forgiveness by the victim. These are highly structured programs that are based on a person fully taking responsibility for their actions.
DA Andrea Harrington and Chief Wynn and those ultra progressives have taken that concept and flipped it on its head.
They’ve taken the responsibility for ones own actions out of the equation, placed the blame everywhere else (society, mental incapacity, bad parenting, a system that’s racially and economically biased. They’ve turned restorative justice into an affirmative action program for criminals.
In every version of restorative justice, there is responsibility for ones actions. The term prisoner is still used, incarceration is still acceptable, and in fact its during incarceration where most of the dialogue and interaction take place. DA Andrea Harrington and Chief Wynn have cherry picked very selective portions of these programs and skipped whole sections to custom tailor the concepts of restorative justice to their affirmative action version of justice.
They’ve taken the one concept of reduction of disparate minority incarceration and made that the cornerstone of their restorative justice. They’ve ignored entirely the responsibility, victim assistance and involvement (there’s no victim if there is no crime).
No the “restorative justice” DA Andrea Harrington and Chief Mike Wynn are peddling is just political pandering and a way to artificially lower COMPSTAT by under reporting crime.
Bravo PoliceReport!
“They’ve turned restorative justice into an affirmative action program for criminals.” Well said.
As Kalinowsky stated during the debates, “there is no
accountability.”
The DA’s office, the mayor, school & police departments need to hold lawbreakers accountable for their actions.
Vote Tyer out of office!
We are seeing a disgraceful use of children to promote climate change. Climate change is just a vehicle being used by the far left to insure that the next generation of voters, who are being seriously brainwashed, will vote them in and opt for the green new deal which is a complete government takeover.
https://climatechangedispatch.com/children-push-climate-lunacy/
PAT
Right on. You and others will be most interested in the Monday PLANET. We take on this (literally) childish protest.
I look forward to reading it Dan V.
TSC knows nothing about guns.
Does anyone remember the 60s and 70s protest.Much more peaceful now.The people of 2019 have threatened violence in return for some banning of mass killing rapid fire rifles.Trump has no moral resistance in the soulless republican party
It’s not even a protest School Committee. The kids were given the day off of school and encouraged to do this by teachers and administrators. Peacefully brainwashing kids to do the bidding of the far left and vote for the Green New Deal in a few years when they can vote is the point of all of this. The far left even wants to lower the voting age so that these brainwashed kids can push forward the Green New Deal by voting in leaders on the far left who support it. They tell us they can’t think until 21, but they want them voting in this Green New Deal which is all about government control of EVERY aspect of our lives.
Absolutely, SC. The protests to which you refer were driven by the impulse to change. Those who participated put a lot on the line, since the establishment heavy-thumbed them every chance they got. Nonetheless, they did bring that stupid “war” (never declared) in Vietnam to an end. And try a Woodstock today. Can you imagine a half-million young people, largely unpoliced, gathering in peace, sharing love, digging great music, and NO VIOLENCE? The faux-W event in 1994 ended into violence and burning down. Can you imagine today?
Iranian leaders saying they do not want war. But if one missle comes their way they say they will send everything they got and in several directions. They know their country will be demolished but they are going to take a bite of their adversaries asses on they way down. Good thing Trump went back on the treaty they were abiding by. Let us hope they do not have assets within our borders huh?
“Obama was, to borrow from The New York Times’s Roger Cohen, America’s first “post-Western” president, a man deeply uncomfortable with American hegemony and the essential marriage of diplomacy and force. By 2013, when Hassan Rouhani won Iran’s presidential election, Obama made it increasingly clear that he was unwilling to fight over the clerical regime’s nuclear-weapons ambitions. He was also unwilling to do anything to brake the Islamic Republic’s rising Shiite imperialism, which in Syria led to the massive slaughter and flight of Syrian Sunnis who’d rebelled against Bashar al-Assad’s tyranny. And what happened in 2012-2013 in Syria and Iraq—with the absence of America—triggered the rise of the Islamic State and has now set the stage for a regional conflict that we haven’t seen since Saddam Hussein was running amok.”
The Obama treaty wasn’t working. It was a weak agreement. It allowed them to get away with too much.
and cows have five stomachs Pat. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Maybe next week you and Hannity will be better prepared to discuss my comment.
(but probably not)
Like most school districts we need to merge school buildings in Pittsfield for better delivery of services for less money.The state is funding public education at a higher rate so real estate taxes should go down.Its a relief program for property owners going broke to fund a failed system like Pittsfield Ma schools. PHS /Taconic 10,11,12 would be 1,100 students.Remote learning in Pittsfield should be encouraged.No all kids in high school need to be in the classroom. Asking for more money every year is just an excuse for failure.There are 3rd world countries that educate children to a great standard.
The latest attempt by the far leftists to take down President Trump is flawed as usual. While our youth is being brainwashed by the far left, this is how they want to distract from their takeover of the schools and the media with their Socialist/Marxist/Communist ideas.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/bombshell-revelation-buried-deep-in-cnn-report-unravels-whistleblower-scandal-involving-president-trump?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Newsletter__AM-Final%202019-09-22&utm_term=TheBlaze%20Daily%20AM%20-%20last%20270%20days
The Orange lost its best chancellor when Nancy Cantor left.
JERRY
Great to hear from you. Cantor was a good one, for sure. She was a key figure in the Downtown Corridor, a plan where the university and the downtown groups worked together to foster development that linked campus with center city. It’s been a good development for both campus and city. Syverud has encouraged that. His thrust seems to be the campus itself. There’s enormous development going on, and the great thing is that it’s intelligent change.
Why don’t they our President do his JOB
Pats are loaded.
Dan, I would like the readers to take a look at Jay Hamling and Rick Latura both have unique perspectives. Lateraled is a Veteran and Jay is very bright. I’m also going to vote for Joe in my Ward,six. I mean where did the his Dina from. We won’t have any balance I& theseTyer retreads get back In assuming Melissa gets elected,in which she has a very good chance.
Dan here is ah credible statistic as of today. The Jets (Jests) have not scored a Touchdown in their last fifty drives (fifty) at Gillette Stadium.Talk about a lockdown.