TEACHER WHISTLEBLOWER’S SUIT AGAINST CITY, CAPELESS PRINCIPAL JEZEWSKI REASON FOR JIV HEADING FOR (GANG)GREENER PASTURES?
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 18-20, 2019) — Sources tell THE PLANET Pittsfield school superintendent Jason “JIV” McCandless will be gone come September.
Those within the Mercer Building and, we hear, in the administrative ranks scramble as rumors run wild. Some “can’t wait for this fraud to go” (not our words; Mercer words). Others want him to remain so their lazy days can continue. Question is, why now?
Are the walls closing in on JIV? Has the lawsuit of a former teacher revealed too much of the rotten core of JIV’s corrupt reign? Are more, explosive details to come?
Or are we dealing with yet another Pittsfield Coincidence? Is all well and good?
Here’s the article filed last week by Bob Dunn of The Boring Broadsheet.
———- ooo ———-
Ex-Capeless teacher at trial: Unpalatable choice offered
BY BOB DUNN The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD — Within a month of notifying technical staff at Capeless Elementary School that Principal Candy Jezewski might know the location of missing equipment, Melissa Fawcett said, she was presented with two choices: accept an involuntary transferor resign.
Fawcett testified Thursday that she was told she was given that choice “because you talked about Candy.”
The former Capeless teacher took the stand Thursday in Berkshire Superior Court as testimony continued in a civil lawsuit filed by Fawcett under the whistleblower statute. She is suing the city and Jezewski, alleging that she was retaliated against for whistleblowing by being pushed out of her job.
In 2014, Fawcett was a fourth grade math and science teacher at Capeless. She also was the school’s webmaster and part of the “innovation team,” and as part of that role had added responsibilities regarding the school’s technical hardware.
Among that hardware were 22 iPad minis, secured for the school via a grant and intended for use by two second grade classes. According to testimony, the two second grade classes each was allotted 10. Two others that were separately shipped were allocated for staff use.
During a routine inventory of the school’s equipment June 9, 2014, two of the iPads were unaccounted for. Fawcett was asked by tech department staff if she knew where they were and said they should ask Jezewski about their whereabouts.
Fawcett testified that it was her understanding Jezewski had taken the iPads home but didn’t convey that information to those who had asked. Before the end of the day, Fawcett said Jezewski angrily entered her classroom while students and other faculty were present and wanting to know if she had told the tech department that her children had possession of the iPads, which Fawcett denied having done.
Fawcett testified that she was sure that the incident was upsetting to the children who were present.
Over the course of the next week, Fawcett said, she was summoned to Jezewski’s office on three occasions to be verbally reprimanded, though no official disciplinary action was taken. In each instance, Fawcett said Jezewski said “other people” had raised issues with her about Fawcett, including disparaging the value of staff meetings, complaining about the state of office equipment and divulging confidential information regarding the employment status of a fellow faculty member.
Fawcett said she believed that framing the conversations as things that were brought to her attention by other people was a retort to her suspicion that Fawcett had given the tech department information about the suspected use of the missing iPads. In an email introduced into evidence, Jezewski had described Fawcett’s actions as throwing her under the bus.
Before those incidents, Fawcett said, she never had been disciplined on the job for any reason and, as recently as three days before the June 9 inventory, she had received an evaluation, signed by Jezewski, in which she was described as a “very valuable asset,” to Capeless Elementary.
By June 13, Fawcett had put herself on a list making herself eligible for a voluntary transfer but said she did so mostly out of a naive hope that, in doing so, someone in the school district’s administration would take note, find it odd and contact her to see what issues might be involved. But none of those things happened, she said.
On July 3, Fawcett was contacted by Superintendent Jason McCandless, who informed her that she was being involuntarily transferred to Egremont School, where she would be teaching a general fourth grade curriculum, rather than math and science, and no longer would be part of the innovation team, a position for which she received a stipend.
Fawcett testified that at a July 7 meeting with McCandless she was told she was being transferred because she talked about Jezewski. She said she asked several times why she was being transferred and that no other reason was given.
Fawcett said she felt the involuntary transfer was disciplinary action and a demotion and that, by accepting it, she would be taking on a curriculum with which she was not familiar and wouldn’t have time to become proficient in it before the start of the school year.
Fawcett chose to resign instead.
Thursday’s testimony closed with Fawcett describing her inability to find another teaching job in Berkshire County, despite sending out more than 30 applications and being granted interviews in most of those cases. She also talked about the financial hardships her family endured after being suddenly reduced to a one-income household.
Fawcett, represented by attorneys Mary Courtney and Michael Hinkley, is seeking damages including back pay, court costs and interest.
Her continued testimony and cross-examination by attorney Jeffrey J. Trapani are both expected Friday.
———- ooo ———-
How much pilfering goes on in city departments? How many public vehicles and smart phones do employees use for their own personal business? How much sleeping on the job? Goofing off? Surfing the Internet? Who does inventory? Who keeps accounts? Who does the books? Who checks those who do the books?
Why does school business manager Kristen Behnke have a staff of nine? What are they hiding? Can you imagine what a department-wide forensic audit would turn up?
We close with the reminder than until the court finds otherwise, all defendants are to be presumed innocent.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
———————————————————————————————————————–
“I seek the God beyond God” — Meister Eckhardt.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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“Yellow matter custard
Dripping from a dead dog’s eye“
Pittsfield politics is toxic! You have to be politically-connected to work for the city or public school district. When whistleblowers expose how corruptly Pittsfield politics really operates, they are blacklisted from employment. That is why thousands of people have moved out of Pittsfield and Berkshire County! No one likes how the show is run by the Good Old Boys, Special Interest Groups, Suits, and wanna be’s! Other localities have insiders, but Pittsfield and Berkshire County has it in spades!!!!
I’m not the a Walrus, but a did sleep in a dumpster last night.
Surfing the Internet? On company time? For personal use? My belief is that the average office worker in America is screwing off 20 percent of the time, and 80 percent of that 20 is on the Internet, either the company computer or more likely their own pocket computer – smart phone. I call it the 20/80 rule.
According to iBerkshires, school committee member Dan Elias was “astounded by McCandless work ethic and dedication.”
Personally, I was astounded when we landed a man on the moon. Elias has set a rather low bar for being “astounded” if you ask me.
Johnny Absurd wins the Interwebs this AM. Funny stuff!
I was “astounded” Tyer said NASA was coming to PEDA
I was “astounded” Tyer claimed NASA coming to Pittsfield.
I’m astounded Tyer claims to be tough on crime – worse now than under Bianchi and she crucified him over crime
I was astounded when Don Larsen fanned Dale Mitchell in the top of the ninth inning for the final out on Oct. 8, 1956. Only perfect game in World Series history.
Yah, so basically Dan Elias was “astounded” when the superintendent did his job?
Maybe this will help us understand why the school system is so dysfunctional. A school committee member is shocked to find the leader of the schools has work ethic and dedication. Apparently he was not expecting to find this in a superintendent only getting $157,000 per annum plus bennies.
Elias should see if McCandless could serve lunch everyday to 560 student for 20k per year. These remarks to employees making 160k are pure ass kissing.I want to puke when people say this stuff. Please make your next hire a qualified,experienced leader who will walk his schools not hide in his office.Look for energy in your next candidate.Look for a financial persont th as t can understand what school budgets do to people making 35k.
Questions;
The iBerkshires article said JIV signed a 6-year contract in 2015. IF he gets the Silver Lake job when their Supt. retires in January, will JIV leave mid-school year? Will he be breaking his 6 year contract? What are the financial ramifications if he breaks his contract? When exactly does his contract expire?
Anyone know?
His contract is public record. It would be amazing if instead of reporting what they’ve been told, reporters would put minimal effort into a little research and get a copy of the contract.
That said there is typically a severance of duty clause, saying that either party may end the contract with X days notice. The burden on the school system is normally they pay the contract out if they sever without cause. For the employee, it’s just “notice” with no penalty.
It’s interesting that PPS has all the contracts listed under CBU on the website but not the supers
“ PITTSFIELD — The city’s School Committee approved updated contracts this week for top leaders of Pittsfield Public Schools, including a fresh six-year contract for Superintendent Jason McCandless.
The committee also approved contracts for Deputy Superintendent Joe Curtis and Assistant Superintendent Kristen Behnke.
McCandless and Curtis struck new agreements with the city, with 1 percent raises, which last until 2024, according to School Committee Chairwoman Katherine Yon.
The committee made no salary changes or time extensions to Behnke’s existing contract, which expires in 2021, but added language pertaining to the financial leader’s job description.
Yon said the approved salary bumps bring McCandless to $158,570 annually — it’s the first raise he has taken since starting with the district in 2013 — and Curtis to $116,150 a year. She said the committee also agreed to cover all of McCandless’ disability insurance, while previously the city covered 50 percent of it.
Behnke’s contract includes an annual salary that rises incrementally from $109,275 to $115,293 through 2021.
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER THESE ADS
Superintendents stand among the highest-paid municipal employees in Massachusetts, and Yon said that’s because of the volume of people they are responsible for and the high level of education they are required to obtain.
She said she feels driven to keep McCandless in Pittsfield for as long as he is willing to stay, especially given that the average superintendent typically doesn’t spend more than three years in one district.
“There’s not that kind of longevity in the job,” Yon said.
She said committee members all agreed that McCandless is doing “a fantastic job.”
“The man is really incredible, and his door is always open,” Yon said. “We’re very, very lucky to have him, and I think he enjoys working here.””
If he enjoys working here why is he leaving?????
Also, is there anything in his contract that speaks to time away from the job i.e. vacation, sick time, working at home time, personal time?
Does he have an expense account, city paid vehicle, clothing allowance? Does he have a city paid credit card?
How many assistants does he have? Does he live in Pittsfield and if so would be curious as to where. Near Tyer maybe?
Yon and Amuso and Eliassaid Pittsfield was lucky ty o have Eberwien. The 2 best was the team of Travis and current school committee member Cameron. Amuso Yon Elias at Massimiano direction ran Travis and Cameron out of town so that the city could blow millions of dollars the Sheriff got to keep kids out of jail.The 9 million was not the answer.
Thanks PoliceReport.
I agree, the “reporting” is half baked.
The purpose of “contracts” the city makes is solely to screw taxpayers, forcing them to pay without any vote or agreement. One-sided contracts aren’t even valid legally, but good luck finding a judge who lives off tax money to say it’s wrong to scam taxpayers
Can’t we redo his contract,we can’t lose this man. Also,school committee members must be paid like the City Council.
If Mazzeo wants to figure out why there is a mass exodus of teachers, this should be the red flag we’ve all been waiting for.
I left over a decade ago and never looked back. Commuting to Hampden county to a level 1-2 school is much better than 5 minutes to that dump of a district.
We need to hear from more teachers who have left as to their reasons. They would be the ones to know the real problems.
Didn’t the Planet do an expose on JIVs contract in a column couple years ago?
QUEEN
Yes. It was part of a five-part series we did in December 2015, after the city ratified the new PSD contract. Perhaps it would be a good idea to re-run these columns, with updates.
Definitely needs a reboot Dan.
Yes. reboot has been put on order. Thanks, DOOM and others who want to see it again.
https://kingston.wickedlocal.com/news/20191011/two-familiar-candidates-are-among-silver-lake-superintendent-finalists
The search for a new Silver Lake superintendent has been narrowed down to three finalists – two well known to the district and a third from western Massachusetts.
KINGSTON – The search for a new Silver Lake superintendent has been narrowed down to three finalists – two well known to the district and a third from western Massachusetts.
The preliminary search committee for a new Silver Lake superintendent presented three candidates to the Silver Lake Regional School Committee and Superintendency Union 31 Thursday, Oct. 10.
They are they are current Pittsfield Superintendent Jason McCandless, current Silver Lake Assistant Superintendent Jill Proulx and Easton Assistant Superintendent Christine Pruitt.
McCandless has 15 years of experience as a superintendent, Proulx previously worked in Scituate, and Pruitt was previously the Silver Lake assistant superintendent.
Search Committee Chairman Paula Hatch of Halifax said they are three strong individuals chosen from a list of 20 applicants after initial interviews with seven candidates.
“These are three individuals that we have talked to extensively and feel are the best candidates to bring forward for further consideration,” she said.
More Headlines
Committee members worked with Jim Hardy, field director for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees who consults on superintendent searches in Massachusetts, said further interviews, site visits by the three finalists to Silver Lake and site visits to their school districts will be scheduled in the next three weeks. The finalists will visit all six school buildings in the district.
Hardy said all three finalists have been contacted and are eager to move forward. He also stressed the importance of giving all three the same opportunity in order to be fair and equitable, especially with School Committee members from all three Silver Lake towns familiar with two of the candidates.
With Superintendent Joy Blackwood retiring at the end of January, committee members hope to make an appointment in time for the new superintendent to give six weeks’ notice to their employer once a contract has been signed.
A meeting to vote on the new superintendent has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, but the date could change.
After my post last time on my experience teaching at Silver Lake Regional High School, I recalled to myself how some folks in here like to run down teachers.
I venture to guess that if you haven’t taught, you know very little of what it is like.
Major hint: kids don’t just come in, sit down, shut up, and listen. Put a kid in the hallway for any time at all, and you’ve just bought yourself a 2:05 meeting with the principal. “Well, Mr. Crane, when did you stop beating your students?”
But my post just gives you a very tip-of-the-iceberg look at what goes on inside a public (pubic?) school.
At one wealthy suburban Boston district, a teacher had a friend come to sit in on his class because he was thinking of getting into teaching (he worked in some chemistry lab).
Afterward in the faculty lounge, the friend looked like Wendy Torrance after she had seen what husband Jack had been typing all this time.
Pat Kavey for Ward Five…No Doubt….Stooge asked him a question how he feels about trash and Pat stated he (Stooge) asked him the question already. Stooges response was, well,I wanted to see if you’ve changed your mind? Where did this clown (Stooge) come from? He (Stooge) keeps complaining about his shrinking income? Show after show. If your pension income starts out at fifty g a year one wouldn’t think the Stooge has to worry?
He may be referring to the escalating chunk Mayor Tyer takes from him each year in property taxes. I am sure of it.
On there Stooge show I’ve watched to see a few of the candidates and what that have to say. Each and every time this Stooge guy keeps interrupting and the three four times I’ve watched he tells the candidates what he thinks should be done? Today he started talking about this son of his used to live in Hoboken? Who Cares what they do in Hoboken?
Yesterday,this Stooge fella had Dinah Gweel Lasiapini on,so she must have had a bad hair day because of the weather. This Stooge fella is reading laborious announcements while the candidate,Gweel Lasiapini is adjusting her hair and giving herself a selfie from her app. Joe Nichols should have seen that. Then some creepy guy comes into this Stooge fellas station and was standing in the back waiting for his turn at this Stooge fella for a second half interview.
Anyway this Louie guy starts gazing into space like he was hit in the head with a frying pan or something, he starts rambling after this Stooge fella does another set of commercials. I tuned it in just in time for this Louie fellow to say get your fat butts off the couch and get out and vote? I’m serious,you can see this interview from Thursday on the pct sight under Access T V.
Overheard at the barber shop
A trainer for Wayfair came in today and was talking about his experience so far in Pittsfield.
Said it was one of the more difficult rollouts of a call center he’s ever done. He travels all over the For Wayfair and said they spent more money per trainee on Pittsfield employees than anywhere else. It took more time and they’ve rejected more applications
He said he’ll end up spending the next three years trying to get the center fully staffed, they were supposed to have it done in under 18 months.
Well maybe he-she isn’t doing their job. My sibling has Amin sec and call center work and insurance billet, affluent in computers, worked as billing and call instructing,has been in real estate and banking,no call yet. Oh, and worked as operator at V E R I Z O N.
A person I know applied for Wayfair and was interviewed. This person is smart, friendly, tech savvy, and has a solid employment history. Could have done the job with eyes closed. Wayfair prides itself on being a tech company, not a retailer.
Rejected.
If they are having a hard time filling positions, I wonder what exactly they are looking for.
Interestingly, Wayfair has never reported a profit. Ever. It also turns out that Wayfair wants to hire people who are “non-political” (words of Niraj Shah who claims his statement was taken out of context).
In June 2019, there was a giant walkout of hundred of Boston employees after the company refused to cancel a sale of beds to a contractor who runs immigration detention centers on the southern border.
Take some time to Google Wayfair Reviews with the Better Business Bureau. They are rated terribly by employees and consumers. I can’t believe some of the illegal backroom antics this company does with consumers. Scary!
Sound like its an extremely unprofessional trainer who does not know what he is doing if he was talking about his job.Some trainers suck.
Sounds like a guy who knows what’s what and has seen a lot.
He’s clearly in the know because they’ve had to soft roll out the call center and are way way way behind on employees.
100 by opening, 100 every six months for a year.
18 months. They’ve barely got a 1/3 of the first hundred and at least 5 of those are outside/transfer hires.
One other thing he said.
Pittsfield didn’t give us $hit. It’s all state and federal monies. They wanted us to use a work training center here, the meetings made it obvious that they didn’t know WTF they were doing. That so called red carpet team, maybe good for cleaning fcuking carpets, not much else”
I interviewed for a customer service trainer position over the phone, during this past summer, with a Wayfair HR staffer. When finished, I wished her good luck with their search while suggesting she might consider returning to college. Click!!
Armed with a handful of degrees, and having TA’d as a graduate student with close to 250 undergraduates in each of two courses, she had the audacity to ask if I ever “trained a group of people?”. Ya think.
Then I went on to bifurcate ‘teaching’ with ‘training’. The former is usu. about new learning; while the latter is typically a specialized enabler to learned material. Most times though employees are directed to training when they have yet to achieve a master’s level of job proficiency. Her response “ohh”.
Then I emailed her a 14-page attachment to my Master’s Thesis paper of 94-pages. The attachment was highly mathematical and technical, with ten classroom instruction lessons, outlining daily objectives to be learned toward mastering the impact on society if a modern-day Zombie Apocolypse befell.
I was shocked when she responded with comments so far off the mark, I couldn’t stop laughing. She was clueless about the paper’s learning conditions and her grossly inadequately lack of understanding of its prototypical TPCK format.
But what do I know, right?
Good luck, Wayfair!!
Well I guess she knew how to get a job interviewing people who won’t get jobs because they equate education with actual ability. They don’t understand that a masters doesn’t make them any better at doing
Perhaps you should apply for EMA.
Look,this clown has these people as his Friends,he’s said it many times. Paul Babeu. Carmen Massimiano Cliff Nilan,Jimmy Ruberto.Gerry Doyle.Mike Case,yup,Mike Case. These are just a few. What does this tell you?
good work, Dan.
Thanks, JERRY! Always a pleasure to hear from my dear friend.
Dan is the only one doing the real good work and is truthful,selfless and transparent. Does Dan have an ego,yes,but Dan does something here for over forty years. Dan gets the story and he has always walked the talk. And the eagle is getting Country Awards? Kevin Moran? When and if Dan writes the book about local politics and a movie to follow,G E pcbees and corruption, he’ll amass another fortune. It’s your turn Chief!
This could be a red neck version of Dynasty or Dallas. I’ll buy the first Book.Lets call it Pittlookaville Ma.
Truly magnificent job reposting an Eagle article.
Bravo!
Every time Barry Clairmont defends his wife she looks weaker. Big mistake, IMHO.
Is there anyway we can have the firefighters in uniform in the background? What if the weather is bad?
We can’t have them in uniform but I’ll make sure we have at least 10 people at the event. I’ll have the staff in the building clean up the place, open the doors, put up the pop ups. I can get that all done for your arrival
If those two old hens would increase Jakes pay, maybe Just maybe we could keep this fabulous spokesperson.
Hillary Clinton attacked Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is polling at 1% in the Democrat primary contest, conspiratorially alleging Tulsi Gabbard is really a Russian agent who wants Russia’s puppet, Donald Trump, to win a second term in the Oval Office in 2020. There is evidence that Russian media and trolls are backing Tulsi Gabbard’s bid. But, Tulsi Gabbard is a Major in the U.S. Army and she is the only candidate who understands the role of the U.S. Armed Services in foreign policy. Tulsi Gabbard reacted to Hillary Clinton’s attack by saying Hillary is part of the rot in the Democratic Party.
I don’t understand why Hillary Clinton would even bother to disparage Tulsi Gabbard! She, Tulsi, doesn’t have a chance of getting the nomination. It is a done deal that Joe Biden will be nominated to challenge Donald Trump. I wish the Democrats would unite behind Joe Biden in 2020, and stop their stupid attacks against each other!
As Secretary of State Clinton found her support of Syrian president to be suspicious in light of the fact that this is also a Russian position in the middle east.And of course Trump support all thing Putin and we are finding out why with the recent Russian crime familiy Oligarchs money going to the Republicans.Rudy and Don Junior are very interactive with Russian cash.
Hmm, maybe Hillary went after Gabbard because she worked at the DNC and didn’t like the inner workings of it and resigned,then endorsed Bernie instead of her for president? Hillary wasn’t happy about that .
Clinton is warning people that they are being groomed as agents of Russisn policy.They may not be aware of small chsnges in their positions.
Who’s Hilary Clinton?Trump mp 2020!
I do not believe Donald Trump will win again in 2020. Rather, I believe Joe Biden will be our next U.S. President in 2021,
Trump screwed up with his stupid trade wars and his reckless foreign policies. The international community views Trump unfavorably, especially on global warming. Even his own Republican Party is disowning him!
Lastly, Trump = Hitler!!!!
As I declared many moons ago on this blog Biden is done. He can’t string two sentences together and is imploding before our eyes. The international community doesn’t vote and any red blooded American will voted for a flawed Trump over crooked Hillary or the fake Indian any day of the week.
Melle = radical leftist, anti-American, antifa supporter
Hello Mr. “Hater” Fritz!
I am a disabled Veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Army. I’ve received the regards of a U.S. President for my military service to our nation.
– Jonathan Melle
JM, you compared the President to Hitler. Mr. Fritz is spot on with his comment. When you compare someone to Hitler you lose all credibility. How about some facts as to how President Trump is like Hitler to bolster your claim. Also if Trump = Hitler, as you say, does that make anyone who voted for him a Nazi?
How can a international criminal be re elected president of the United States of A.c merica
JM, first thank you for your service. Second I am not dumping on you. Sometimes you make good points like the ones above, but once you compare anyone to Hitler the conversation loses all credibility. Keep up your dislike for Trump, you served for that privilege, but leave out the Hitler stuff and people will take you more serious.
“Or are we dealing with yet another Pittsfield Coincidence?”
Add that statement to your hall of fame one liners Dan. A very astute statement. Yes another coincidence, kinda like the EMA NASA takeoff scam launched right after Tyer got her buttocks handed to her in primary, kinda like the Wayfair grand poo pa celebration, even though the 300 jobs Tyer is claims are coming this autumn won’t be here until 2021, if ever. Kinda like the DA just happened to be outta town for Tyers’ photo op with the GOBSIGs.
Call centers will be obsolete in a couple years.we’ll be paying for retraction Ning a downsized workforce,just watch. I know..google it!
They have no intension of hiring 300 people here it’s all part of some scam to get tax breaks. They will claim they can’t get qualified people or some such excuse. Wait and see.
Mayor Tyer is spouting facts again. Her newest hashtag #factsmatter resonates well with her supporters but none of them
care enough to fact check.
Newest fact – In the educator’s debate, Mazzeo claimed that the DA’s office has cut the STRIVE program from its budget funding.
Tyer has a new FB post claiming Mazzeo was wrong, citing the April 2019 STRIVE conference. “The STRIVE Program has NOT ended” TYER says.
Obviously, an April 2019 conference would have been part of the FY19 budget, before Harrington took office.
Obviously, Mazzeo was referring to the current FY20 budget, in Harrington’s control.
Who is right? Will there be a STRIVE conference next April as it has been held the past 8 years?
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/berkshire-students-educators-fear-changes-to-das-office-youth-programs,573559
It looks like the jury didn’t agree with the retribution point in Faucett’s case. I think they said they can reassign teachers without their wishing to be reassigned. They didn’t address the walking off of iPads.
Can’t teachers afford their own iPads? They are paid more than the assistant DAs by almost double. I believe that to be true anyway – average ADA is making about 45k?
Does anyone know what is up with the South County IEP suit. The whistleblowers there have Kinne working for them which means status quo approval of their claims or personal connection or a good case. He wouldn’t waste his time for a bad case unless they were a friend.
I hope the whistle blowers win, the Olivieri woman was very compelling. I think she will do a lot of good work for families by raising this complaint. Good luck to them.
When can the car be there? I have a photographer coming and would like to get it done as soon as we can, the print deadlines are coming up.
Please don’t send this to my work email it’s public record just text me and I’ll give you the information. Make sure you delete this and the original email and replies. When they record check they don’t check the archive and drleted (sic).
My fellow Planeteers,
Beware of a Verizon scam in which you receive a phone call allegedly from Verizon telling you your account has been hacked and therefore your account will be locked out for several days. The scammers then order top of the line iphones, billed to your account and shipped to out of state addresses. By telling you that you are “ locked out” they hope you won’t bother logging into your account and seeing the new purchases, giving the scammers a few days to get the phones shipped.
It’s a total scam by professionals. You can contact the real Verizon at any time by dialing * 611. Keep an eye on your account!
Had absolutely nothing to do today, so I listened to the candidates statememts on PCTV. All the sycophants had the same mantra about being courageous and supporting the $80 million waster water plant and not kicking the can down the road any longer. Wow, I am glad they are proud of doubling our water rates. Another interesting tidbit is that Moon talks about her nursing job as if she is still working as a nurse. No mention of her new job at the DA’s office. Why wouldn’t she mention that?
It’s obvious an unprecedented level of politics and cronyism drove the hiring and firing of most of this district attorneys office. I’m fine with hiring people you know and trust, but when an elected official is selecting people that have no qualifications for a job we’re likely going to have a problem. It undermines the common good because legal, advocacy and education services are too important to be put in the hands of unskilled employees.Diversity of ideas is often lost. Relations with other law enforcement deteriorate as public safety suffers. It breeds distrust in the community. Where’s the media outrage, we wonder…
Well expressed, E.
Well expressed and also in large part, explains why the whole city seems off kilter. There seems to be a glaring lack of leadership and competent oversight.
i.e. On Hubbard Ave just past the Covanta site there is a tree down on the right with branches sticking out into the road. Would take a person about 15 minutes so that 5000 cars and trucks a day did not have to swing into the other lane so as not to scratch their car or cause an accident.
If Linda Tyer losses the election, she should seek a new career as an esthetician. Her complexion is smoother and her features more dainty with each subsequent photo shoot .What is photo shop ?
Well, it does look like she has nicer teeth. I don’t care if she looks like Gina Lollobrigida,I’m not voting for her.
Gina Low Bridge! Now you’re talking!! Back in the day, she was a boyhood crush, along with Diana Dors, Mamie Van Doren, and Doris Day.
Pittsfield is the only community where you get paid for failure.
Sparkling green eyes, teeth as white as snow, and skin as smooth as silk. All as phony as the cardboard lies being told.
So what is the official explanation from the mayor as to what happened to the sand and salt money? I assume there was no collusion or coverup but I missed how she accounted for it. It was probably explained in the Eagle since I am sure both the Eagle an the mayor would not want voters to harbor concerns of a cover up by the mayor.
Agree, Johnny, about the sand and salt budget. Something is very definitely wrong. Suspicious to say the least!.
I also agree with others who have called for a forensic audit of ALL the budgets (especially the school budget). If there is nothing to hide, the administration should readily agree to do so and put all the accusations to rest.
During the campaign 4 years ago, she said she would ride around with the plow drivers. If she did that, she’d know how much money was wasted having city trucks and contractors plow blacktop.
Only in Pittsfield is there silence as to 3.1 million in underfunded department budgets to be bailed out at a later time with the free cash account.You cant get elected mayor until her office explains this mess.Tyer people are feeling her election is slowly slipping away.
Actually there was a lot of looking the other way when Doyle was running the show. If I were the next mayor I would do a forensic all the way back to the Civic Authority days. Then I would hire an outside newspaper to do a review of it.
The 437 North Street/Milltown Capital move has been in the works for months. They have purposefully withheld the information as part of what would seem to be a political ploy. Emails dating back several months indicate that Milltown will get a free build out of office space, taxpayer funded. Will get a TIF related to their 437 North Street /Framework property as well as a BIC rent concession.
This will effectively make their rent and move free, when you calculate taxes against rent concessions. Also someone may want to look into other parties contribution of “grant money” for this endeavor.
Thank you DAVID. Yes, several month of setting up, only to publicly announce in late-October of an election cycle. Pure political tactics on display here. This is shuffling pieces on the game board to make it look like much more than it is. Thing is, though, such strategy tends to work! To what extent remains to be seen. Most understandable on the part of Team Tyer.
My God is she competing with Trump for collusion titles? Anyone who votes for her is either totally ignorant or colluding with her. Disgusting
Does this pass the smell test? I thought this was going to be a life sciences building????
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/berkshire-innovation-center-will-have-on-site-venture-capital-partner,587893
On the surface, I think this is great. This Milltown firm has invested more money in Pittsfield than any other independent firm I can think of. What’s the background there? Just some guys who like Pittsfield?
Who knows what lays in the shade, but on the surface It sounds good.
Most interestingly though, the GE Consent Decree specifically prohibits educational facilities built on the business park. How did the BIC get exempt from that when one of their cornerstone functions is a training facility for manufacturing?
and did this just happen? Nobody knew it was coming? Is the mayor giving them tax breaks? Was that part of the story the paper forgot to report?
And the taxpayers on the hook for how much of this?
Why would you need a financial advisor next door taking up valuable space?
A risk capital company seems to be antithetical to the stated aims of the BIC, especially one that is simple moving from one Pittsfield address to another.
Sounds like they need to make the BIC seem better. ‘We put away some (random undefined set of money) for a possibly good idea – sounds spurious. Also, if you have a good idea do you want them snooping around your IP. It’s very weird and probably counter productive. I bet they are coming for free/low cost space and the pr.
KERMIT
“Seem.” That’s the key word. “Seem” is better than “is” in Pittsfield. The BIC and the activity we have seen to date is all about “seem,” not “is.” THE PLANET gives you “is.”
October 20, 2019
Re: Trump = Hitler
I will explain why I believe Donald Trump is similar to Adolph Hitler.
#1 – Donald Trump had neo-nazi’s work for his campaign and administration. Stephen Bannon. Sebastian Gorka. He even failed to condemn the hate and neo-nazi groups who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia. Donald Trump represents the racist views of White Nationalism in the White House.
#2 – Donald Trump ripped immigrant infants and children from their mother’s arms and put them in cages you would not put your family dog in. Some compare the detention centers to concentration camps!
#3 – Donald Trump is hostile towards the 4th Estate: The Press/News Media.
#4 – Donald Trump wants to amend the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by executive order to deny citizenship based on birth in the U.S. This is similar to what Hitler did to deny citizenship to Jewish people born in Germany.
#5 – Donald Trump pulled our country out of the U.N.’s Human Rights Council.
#6 – Donald Trump called African-majority countries “Shithole countries”. He targeted Mexicans with hate speech and wants to build a racist border wall. He targeted Muslims with an unconstitutional travel ban, a religious test, and hate speech. He supports the use of torture. He mocked the disabled.
#7 – Donald Trump admires authoritarian dictators in Russia, North Korea, and China.
#8 – Donald Trump wanted a racist 2020 U.S. Census citizen question. He wants to take our country back to the racist era of the 1920’s when hate groups and racist ideology was its highest level of the 20th Century. Even Hitler admired our country’s hate and racism during the 1920s!
#9 – Donald Trump has made broad claims of executive power that places him above the rule of law because he believes he has unfettered authority over all federal investigations and therefore he could not possibly have committed obstruction of justice.
#10 – A large rise in violent white nationalist domestic terrorism since Donald Trump took office after mid-January of 2017.
I am proud to speak out against the fascist U.S. President named Donald Trump!
– Jonathan Melle
Melle, please get the help you so desperately need.
None of that makes him close to being Hitler or anything like him.
I know that you are mentally unstable and that your disability discharge was predicated on your mental illness but please get help.
All lies.
That’s a terrible thing to say about a veteran. At least J Mel served, unlike,well, you know.
Lee Harvey Oswald served too. Melle needs help.
J Mel might have a disorder but it may have to do with anxiety or something to do with the nervous system brought on by the irreparable way he was treaded by those politicians he so frequently talks about. Thing is, I agree with him on-a couple of them he talks about. And I think he volunteered to serve.
COLONEL
Yes. The man served. He stepped up to the plate. I have known Jonathan for 30 years. Good lad, and I would vouch for him any day.
You are a good man, too, Dan Valenti. Thank you. Your kind words mean a lot to me!
Thanks, JM. They are sincere and heartfelt.
The Ward five Councilor had no idea that Wayfair might have or not a parking problem. That’s on you mam. Does Wayfair get tax breaks when workers can’t get parking and have to have a resolution because the City didn’t ROLL this out better D D Diver?
My father, Bob Melle, was a Pittsfield area politician when I was 20 – nearly 25-years-old from the Spring of 1996 through July 1, 2000. I am now 44-years-old during the Autumn of 2019. When my dad was elected as a Berkshire County Commissioner from Becket, Massachusetts in November of 1996, then-Governor Bill Weld proposed to abolish all 14 county governments in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (7 county governments still stand, and other regional entities also still operate in Massachusetts). My dad explained to the voters and citizens that Governor Bill Weld mismanaged Boston’s “Big Dig”, which doubled in cost from around over $5 billion to over $11 billion during his administration. My dad told the voters and citizens that he could run Berkshire County government for over 5,000 years with all of the cost overruns incurred by Weld’s mismanagement of Boston’s “Big Dig”. My dad’s political activism for the people of Berkshire County led to retaliations by Beacon Hill powerbrokers. The then-Pittsfield State Senator, who I am not allowed to name on Dan Valenti’s blog, tried to hurt my dad by filing multiple “ethics” complaints against him from the Fall of 1997 – the Spring of 1998. The then-Pittsfield State Senator’s intent was to get my dad fired from his two government positions, which were my dad’s then-state government job at the Pittsfield District Court Probation and my dad’s then-elected position as Berkshire County government. Thankfully, my dad didn’t lose his two jobs. But the then-Pittsfield State Senator made false criminal complaints against me, during the Spring of 1998, to the Pittsfield Police Department that I allegedly made veiled threats against him. Thankfully, my dad found out about this negative situation, and he told me to stay away from the then-Pittsfield State Senator. Then, over 7 years later, during the Summer of 2005, the then-Pittsfield State Senator’s conspiratorial network had vicious rumors spread against me to the people of the Pittsfield area that “all Jonathan Melle ever did was stalk a Jewish woman from Otis” (she was married during the Summer of 2002), and that “Jonathan Melle belongs in a psychiatric institution”. All these years later, I read blog posts about how I was mistreated by those Pittsfield politicians I have written about in my emails and blog posts. Lastly, I am a 100% service connected disabled Veteran who served our country honorably in the U.S. Army. I go to the Manchester VA Hospital for my healthcare. I am thankful that I am well, and my family is doing well, too. It has all been a lot for me to go through over the past 23.5-years!
– Jonathan Melle
I knew your dad well. Excellent man.
Everything Police Report said is true, and none of what you say about Trump makes him like hitler and some of it isn’t even true. As to you being bullied by the he GOBSIGs, some of us had it a lot worse, believe me. We stayed in town. It’s your choice to move away, and your choice to be a victim. I suggest you get over it and get a job.
The armed robber in north county name wasn’t released because it would be a ‘public shaming’ ? Not for that crime.
iBerkshires article Sunday about all the teachers (on top of the students) bailing on Pittsfield school system.
So the parents are taking their kids out, the teachers are going elsewhere and now even the superintendent can’t take it anymore.
The obvious solution for the mayor is to pour more money into this dormant volcano and pray to the Gods for a miracle.
Article also mentions that nobody in their right mind wants to teach in Pittsfield. (paraphrasing)
We could all sing Bring in the Clowns, but alas, they are already here.
Teachers aren’t leaving due to lower salaries as mentioned in the article, they’re leaving due to discipline issues in the schools. Students aren’t being held accountable for their actions.
School committee candidates debate tonight at BCC.
Don’t vote for the incumbents!
There’s about a $5,250 difference between average salaries of the highest paid Berkshire district and Pittsfield (this is BEFORE stipends). This does not compare the different STEPS nor does it include the differences in benefits packages. Pittsfield has stipends for everything, they also have a decent STEP program, and the benefits are paid for at a fairly high rate.
I can assure you, it’s not the salaries that are making people leave the Pittsfield system. It’s the violence, the disinterest of parents, the failing of the system itself.
Think about it, you can take a cush job in Hancock where there’s like 5 kids to a class, if that, or work at one of the community schools in Pittsfield, what would you do?
https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/average-teacher-salaries-ma-school-districts-state-numbers
Northern Berkshire $75,288 (55)
Lee $74,676 (62)
Lenox $74,524 (81)
Richmond $73,743 (19)
Central Berkshire $71,924 (128)
Hancock $71,768 (6)
Berkshire Hills $71,254 (114)
Pittsfield $71,053 (467)
Southern Berkshire $66,146 (75)
Williamstown $66,136 (38)
North Adams $65,154 (119)
Lanesboro $56,915 (19)
Florida $48,381 (12)
Mayor Tyer plan for winning the election is not to acknowledge the problems of education along with its size and cost with no checks and balances.They wont even consider talking about drugs and crime in her Tenure as the 1st 4 year Mayor.The financial mismanagement of public works as we have seen the underfunding of this department to the tune of 2.1 million last year where that allowed for a cut in taxes or was it an election year budget trick.Truth in budgets and transparency is why Mazzeo will win.Tyer people are feeling this slip away.
Consolidate the school buildings and rebuild from middle school on up.Put more people and more services under one roof. Remove the Crosby building from education and PHS is done serving as a High School for a city going to 30 thousand in the next 15 years.Move on.
Getting Pittsfield ready financial for a downturn in the economy is Mazzeos business thinking. Be prepared for this.Tyer is spending like a drunken sailor.
She does spend like a drunken sailor. Boggles the mind that she is married to a guy who actually understands how money works. Then again, if it is not YOUR money then who the hell cares, right?
Let’s go shopping girls!
Hey Dan,Sturgeon is selling books now on his commercial orientated and political affiliated community t v show. Some kind d a task force on today’s show. He even has Mayor Bernard from n a on? By the way Mayor,are you still participating in that Mayors fitness challenge or are you off that wagon.