DEATH TOLL GROWS TO PANIC PROPORTIONS AT HILLCREST COMMONS; MANAGEMENT REMAINS SILENT
BY PLANET VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
2nd of 2 Parts
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION DEC. 11-3, 2020) — Another day, another four new deaths.
Easy come, easy go.
That’s the situation at Hillcrest Commons, the deadliest piece of real estate in Berkshire County. In this “second wave” of COVID-19, 33 Pittsfield residents have died. Twenty-nine of them come from Hillcrest Commons. That’s a batting average of .880. That’s nearly nine of every 10 deaths in the city traceable to this one place.
Now someone in charge, in the Know, one of the Big Shots, tell THE PLANET: How is this acceptable by even the most liberal limits of what a community must stomach?
Why isn’t the local lame stream media on this like flies on stink?
And those same someones, tell THE PLANET: Why is there what appears to be a coverup of a huge bureaucratic breakdown that has had fatal consequences and has (a) killed 29 citizens and (b) deviated 29 families? The math shorthand for this type of possible criminality: 29 x n(fm).
The puzzling aspect of the massive outbreak of COVID-19 at Hillcrest Commons is how the virus was able to spread so fast, so thoroughly, and so deadly. This is, after all, a health CARE facility, not a health ruination institution.
———- ooo ———-
Here are the questions THE PLANET, and only THE PLANET, brings to the forefront on behalf of the community at large, from whom we have heard in great numbers. The Berkshire Eagle, iBerkshires, and the rest of the mainstream media once again failed in their duty. So have state legislators, who should be leading the effort to find out what’s going on at the Valentine Road facility.
- What did management do that shouldn’t have been done?
- What did they not do that, if done, would have prevented or greatly alleviated the crisis?
- What changes need to be made at that facility before residents and families can feel safe?
- Why doesn’t the Hillcrest Commons website or the site of parent Berkshire Health Systems’ not have definitive information on the viral situation that has the facility in a death grip?
These questions demand answers, but who will supply them?
Hillcrest and Berkshire Health Systems have had nothing to say. The only ones speaking out are overworked and frustrated employee at the 265-patient facility plus the exasperated among families and the public at large.
This is the Facebook comment that ignited the firestorm regarding COVID-19 at Hillcrest Commons.
Here is what brought the issue to its head.
Pittsfield state rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier’s Facebook post claims “a direct line” linking the end-of-October parties and indoor dining to the outbreak at Hillcrest Commons.
Do you see what’s missing?
Nowhere does TFB identify the “direct line.”
She hung it out to dry but then started rain showers, leaving it to various individuals to anonymously claim the virus was imported into the halls of the Commons by staffers who put their selfish desires to party and dine before the sacred responsibility they had to patients.
TFB made a deadly serious claim. She now has to back it up.
This point wasn’t lost on various city officials.
———- ooo ———-
Soon after Bouvier published her statement, we heard from incredulous officials.
A: “Check out Trisha’s Facebook post about the direct link between COVID in restaurants and Hillcrest Commons. The city doesn’t know if there is a direct link, according to the mayor. I don’t know how Trisha comes up with the shit that she does. It’s just misleading.”
B: “Turns out that Trisha got her data from the city’s web-site. However, she attributed the data for ALL nursing care facilities to Hillcrest, which is wrong. There is nothing on the city’s web-site saying where the cases originated from. The website is also always one day behind, based on when the data comes out.”
THE PLANET asked an official where Bouvier got the information citing a “direct link.”
C: “I’m guessing she pulled it out of her ass.”
———- 000 ———-
Bouvier’s comments set off long strong of a blazing reaction. Here’s a tiny sampling:
“Horrible place. If you have family there, do whatever you have to do to get them out” — Koly Lane.
“Staff members went out to party then brought this [virus] to work. These poor people [the patients[ are paying for it” — Bob Wilson.
“My brother works there and got COVID, and they had the balls [to order him into work] as sick as he is. Can you imagine? … Shame on every one of you [staffers] for infecting so many people. You all make me sick. Shut them down. They are killing many innocent [patients]” — Pam Delmolino.
———- ooo ———-
As we heard in Part 1 of this series from Mr. AB, good care wasn’t being done before the outbreak of the pandemic because of understaffing, ignorant management, and goldbricking by some employees.
How much worse has the situation gotten, now that no family members are there to provide oversight?
If we depend on BHS press releases and the Berkshire Eagle, we will never know.
THE PLANET has learned the hard way: When you entrust a loved one to the care of such a facility, you must stay on top of them 24/7 or expect the worse. Our father-in-law died of sepsis after a local nursing home failed to keep his dentures clean, even though that was part of his minimal treatment.
Since Hillcrest’s policy now forbids visitors, the removal of that added safeguard has obviously led to an incalculable human toll.
THE PLANET calls upon Bouvier or any official to get on the blower, in front of the cameras, and in the BHS administrative offices and begin demanding answers. It would also be of great communal help of the Eagle decided to get a spine and investigate. Our hunch is that there’s a coverup in the works. They can ignore THE PLANET. It would be harder to ignore the area’s lone daily — if, that is, the newspaper were to put its full force into the breach.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
——————————————————————————————-
“Chance favors the prepared mind” — Biologist Louis Pasteur.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. All users of this website — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else making use of its information, hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of and contained in this notice. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer. Copyright (c) 2020 by Dan Valenti.
What a sad and terrible tragedy. Tricia Farley Bouvier is a political hack. Like the lovely Linda Tyer, Tricia Farley Bouvier lives in outer Pittsfield. The lovely Linda & Barry live in a millionaire gated community neighborhood near Hancock, while Tricia and her family live near Lenox. Tricia and the lovely Linda run Pittsfield politics state and local government, respectively, and everything is getting even worse there in 2020. Nursing Homes account for over 40 percent of Covid-19 deaths nationally. The Holyoke Soldiers Home is a travesty. Governor Charlie Baker should have resigned his office after so many Veterans died of Covid-19 there this year (2020). Massachusetts still does not have a passed into law fiscal year 2021 state budget after over 5 months & 10 days & counting. Governor Baker sent the Police Reform bill back to the state Legislature today for further review. Beacon Hill has gotten nothing done all year (2020). The U.S. Congress still has not passed a new stimulus bill, while millions of people are facing a benefits cliff where they could literally freeze to death on the streets during the Winter season. Trump is fighting windmills by telling us that the 2020 election was fraudulent. We have no leadership in Pittsfield politics, Boston’s do nothing Statehouse, Capitol Hill’s Senior Citizen Country Club, and Trump’s fighting a lost 2020 election White House. We only receive many disservices from the ruling elites who run the government. In closing, I love my country, but I fear my government!
You love your country but you don’t seem to Ming taking the government money.
Is this a Smoking Gun Dan?
Eyes of the beholder, babe. Eyes of the beholder.
Well the joke was what a great job the eagle and puke CTV Stooge Show did backslapping the city officials for doing a great job with Covid problem,not so fast.
Be Vigilant the mayor said. So,we have dancing at he park,super spreader bar get togethers,nursing staff being made to work, Halloween parties. About a week ago traveling to b c c there were about fifty maybe more cars lined up at the old St Marks school, now a Hillcrest school-day care for New Yorkers.The men directing traffic didn’t wear masks,don’t quite know what the event was about,maybe one of those drive through get togethers. But who even authorized that?
It was for the workers. There was tents set up so they could drive through and get Christmas gifts, awards etc. the cars would drive through and people wearing protective gear handed things out to them as they came through.
Tent spreader then. Who overseered it Death
Crest?
The removal of this added safeguard applies not just to Hillcrest Commons, but also to BMC where patients are also secluded from their loved ones in the COVID ward. You can’t see your relative unless you have a special app which not everyone has or can afford. You have to rely on what you are being told while you begin to imagine the worse scenarios. These are helpless elderly people and you feel totally shut out. I have read some comments on the Hillcrest Commons site of people complaining that they have had no contact with anyone for a week on what is happening with their mom or dad who are still at Hillcrest. So whether the sick are left at Hillcrest Commons or brought to the hospital, you have a lot of problems to deal with. I had a relative involved in this nightmare.
so do I
It’s terrible to go through this for us, but even worse for our nursing home relative.
They have a lot of bad staff at that nursing home now. It used to be much better, but now they have staff working there who do not care about the residents and not all are working at minimum wage. The nurses earn much more and they are always taking vacation days. Same with the administrators and other personnel there. I agree. Shut it down. Not all residents have such serious issues that they need to be in a nursing home. Patients with mild dementia and other issues could have the state pay for their own families to take care of them. Once this crisis is over, this nursing home needs to be closed.
Sounds like the Trumps current condition Pat. Let it go !
This sort of tradegy is happening all over the country. Every 14 days a number equal to the population of Pittsfield dies across the country. This is where we are at and it IS going to get even worse. Way too many Americans do not have the dicipline to behave in a manner that woud slow this down. In the end it will have been the general ignorance of the population that brought us to our knees.
It seems like the people without the discipline were the staff in this nursing home who spread the virus to the patients. Big private parties were held with no masks. These are health care workers who should know better and if they are sick, should stay home. Lots of mask wearing throughout Berkshire County, but people need to party during a pandemic? Still doesn’t explain how infection controls completely broke down and this virus wasn’t stopped from spreading to nearly all of the patients.
Thanks to the Planet for this readership. You can’t watch c n n no more,can yo believe the local rag,No, and that show in the morning on P C T V is just awful. Don t have a radio it’s a no brainer. Thanks again Dan!
Thanks, SKIM.
There seems to have been or are, two other nursing home hot spots for Covid in Berkshire County, according data released by the State today. One is another BHS facility, last March/April.
In April Williamstown Commons in Williamstown ( 180 beds, > 30 cases, 24 deaths) , and currently Kimball farms in Lenox ( 74 beds, > 30 cases, 7 deaths).
The ratio of beds to deaths is as bad or worse than Hillcrest Commons ( 265 beds, >30 cases, 28 deaths). I’ll take Dan’s word that 5 more have passed at Hillcrest compared to Mass.gov figures.
I’m not sure why the State just lists number of cases at > 30, rather then give a true total of actual cases? For the chronology of the data, you need to check back into the weekly archives.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/weekly-covid-19-public-health-report-december-10-2020/download
Edit: It’s seems Kimball Farms is another BHS related covid cluster.
Anybody know the infection source(s) there?
There were infected people in The Ole Heritage Tavern a while back, not to blame the bar/tavern. But those people were sure in Lenox.
Kimball farms is another BHS facility
Come on TFBuffet you know this had nothing to do with parties or restaurants. The blame lies only with BMC and there assistant director of nursing and director of nursing calling in sick staff and threatening them with being fired if they didn’t come in while still sick. They knew that these people were still shedding the virus, but they didn’t care. It’s all about bonuses and making the numbers.
If parties or restaurants were the issue, places like Worcester or Boston or Springfield would lead in per capita deaths. This is incompetence and greed at BMC. BMC brought in sick workers and infected everyone.
They also moved patients that they knew had Covid, bringing Covid from Fairview to Hillcrest.
The assistant nursing director made that call and she killed dozens.
Why would the move COVID patients from Fairview to Hillcrest? I know when the first case happened at Hillcrest and they called relatives and told them about it, the Director at Hillcrest said that the COVID patient would remain at Hillcrest in an isolation ward. What she didn’t say was that the patient wasn’t even from Fairview, but I think even back in March and April, Hillcrest was taking in outside COVID patients. I asked the director about that at the time and she denied it, but I later found out that she had lied about it because she bragged about taking them in a few months ago. They got lucky back then because it didn’t spread to the patients at Hillcrest.
Excellent question Pat.
The running theory is multi fold based on accounts from various sources.
Hillcrest was internally designated by BHS as the catch all facility. So a patient would be moved to Hillcrest if they were problematic.
A staff member of Fairview let people read some printed emails, they seemed properly formatted and addressed to known employees.
Denial
The director and assistant director of nursing seemed to be Covid “deniers” questioning if in fact there was even a risk, and making fun of school systems that shut down. This while proclaiming that they are “heroes” on Facebook. It’s the strangest thing I’ve seen in a while, nursing administrators talking about patients like the are moving garbage but also proclaiming how great they are.
One series of emails/texts was particularly strange, they assistant director was saying how people should stay home and stay safe but bragging how her two sons go to a school that has refused to shut down. The school nurse there, a classmate of hers from BCC is also a Covid denier is quoted as being proud of not shutting down.
Staffing
The BHS system of care facilities lacks the needed staffing. Just as we saw with BHS in the beginning of the pandemic, BHS made some questionable decisions about staffing and staff quarantine and isolation.
At first they were very strict, then when they started immediately running out of employees, they radically changed their policies. They would let staff back in in three days with no temperature. Staff that had tested positive for Covid were made to come back to work sooner than CDC guidelines suggested.
At the LTC facilities, already short on staff, with administrators that denied Covid really was an issue, staff were called in while sick, staff were shuffled between isolation and general care, in violation of their own protocols. The changes and shifting of staff had an immediate and dramatic effect, it poured gasoline on an already lit match.
It moved Covid between lockdown and isolation wards to open population wards.
Carelessness
Since some of the administration denied Covid was anything more than the “flu”. They moved infected patients and staff around like Covid was not an issue. They acted on a very careless and reckless manner. They violated even their much more lax internal policies.
There are a number of texts that show administration ignoring requests for staffing help at around and on Thanksgiving.
Unless TFB has some extremely compelling data, nothing I’ve seen matches what she’s saying. She’s reading from a script written to place blame outside the health care facilities.
Data available to the public would indicate that restaurant spread, except for three super spreader events at Methuselah, Zucchini’s, and PortSmits, is at under 2 percent.
That an ltc patient contracted Covid at BMC and brought it to Fairview commons and then to Hillcrest.
The largest infection engine in the county is the hospital. It’s the beginning of the pandemic all over again. It’s also this odd complacency or denial that Covid is serious amongst the local medical community.
It’s serious when they are considered “heroes” but not serious when “they are old, how long do they expect to live?” A text from an administrator at the care facility.
The silence isn’t because they don’t have information, it is because the silence gives them all the time they need to be on the CYA page. The bus is warming up and I imagine a few will be collateral damage that aren’t at the top of the political and power chain.
Example of that political chain:
Wonder if Persip will apologize if he’s wrong?
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/63740/Pittsfield-Council-Votes-to-Send-Methuselah-to-Licensing-Board.html
She was serving alcohol not food. Gutless council.Odd that only one councilor spoke up and was knocked down.The mayor knows that this aftef hours drinking event spread this virus all over this area.Lenox went from 10 to 95 cases.This council needs more time to prove themselves as yhe worst council in history.Tricia Farley Bouvier should be calling out the councilors decision.
Tricia Farley Bouvier Is part of the problem.She ain’t going to call herself out?
Knowing this licensing board the councilor will be treated in a very serius way.Mr Campoli will hold her responsible for this huge mistrust.Im guessing she will not be allowed to reopen until the pandemi is undef control..Next summer.
Exactly TSC,
Nothing will happen and the board will just let it twist in the wind until everyone in the public just forgets about it.
She’s already reopened. She opens the Thursday after getting Covid. “For take out only”. She’s was selling booze by the bottle , curbside.
Why did the Eagle use a glamour shot of Yuki at hotel on north instead of a picture of her at her bar? Why not the one with her hugging the Kennedy guy? Or her and Wrong Way getting drippy over Kennedy in her bar with no social distancing.
So this was an IBershires story? Interesting. Big Kudos to Maffucio for his big Cajones. Somebody actually stood up to the cabal??? WHAAAAAATTTT???????
Maffucio had the mute button hit on him for talking out of turn?Or was it to try and end the conversation that he was bringing up about protecting the connected?
This city council president should be ashamed of himself for shutting down a fellow councilor. It is bad enough that the taxpying public has to box in all their thoughts in three minutes. This city governement does not represent its people. They are largely there to represent special interests. Right Pete? Right Linda, Yuki? Right Mr. Caccamo?
This is not Fox news. You can tell the truth here if you want to.
JA, totally agree with your comment. In watching this CC Jerry Springer ZOOM show, what bothered me the most as how our Mayor just sits there playing with her greasy hair, scratching her head like she has lice, looking totally bored and sneering at comments. Is she proud of this do nothing council that she put together? This CC spent the whole first year trashing each other, first Morandi because his wife has a job with the Pittsfield School system, then they go after Connell for his living arrangements. Neither councilors deserved this. Then Yuki breaks laws and they are doing their best to protect her and cover-up these violations. Not only was Pee Pee Petie rude to Maffuccio he then asks Yuki to hang up because of conflict, why did he not ask Dina to do the same? Just another problem with the “cliques” of this Administration. For Pittsfield to have any chance at surviving, this clique has to be called out and dismantled.
While the whole meeting was going on Tyer was probably thinking about where else she could put bike lanes.
Such obsession with the Mayor. Not healthy. Get help.
From my experience at the Eagle, I have no idea what they fear from ruffling feathers at BHS. They are not exactly a fountain of ad revenue over there. BHS expected that every word they issue in PR will be prominently featured as edit, but when an ad executive calls to discuss some clever awareness-building ideas for new programs, calls are never answered or returned. Management still fears them though. They COULD be big some day!
BHS has many a tenacle. Those very nursing home DO advertise.
BHS already had a pretty good covid outbreak this spring at Williamstown Commons.
Kimball Farms in Lenox has one going on now. Deaths per bed is comparable to Hillcrest. Who was the source in Lenox?
I’m mentioned this last night, but it’s tied up by the Planet’s robot………
MR G
Thanks for the analysis of the troubling pas-de-deux between the Eagle and BHS. This is the reason THE PLANET will not accept local ads, even though we could in a second. The moment you become a commercial medium, the advertisers have the upper hand. I’ve seen it my entire career. This gets at a point I made in response yesterday to a comment from BULL DURHAM about “yellow journalism.” It takes some explaining, and perhaps I need to actually do it in a column, but the reason why I don’t see the label as a critique but as a compliment has to do with the power of advertising over the free enterprise of the newsroom.
Dan — you feel that if you took local advertising that the advertisers would have the upper hand over you. That says more about you than it does the advertisers. Businesses advertise to sell their products, to help themselves, not the medium that publishes their ad. If the the ad is selling thier goods they don’t give shit what anyone’s political bent is.
THOM
Though I get the reason and tone of your question, I shall nonetheless give it a straight answer. No. I don’t “feel” that way. That said, what you say is partially true, for 14 years, “The Dan Valenti Show” was the top-rated show in the area. We had advertisers, 90% local, lined up. That’s not the point, though. The point is why go local when I don’t have to. THE PLANET has arrangements with two global online platforms. They rent my space. They solicit the ads and advertisers. We split the money.
I think your policy on advertising is key to the sucess of this operation.
As you see in politics every day this kind of financial binding inevitably influences what happens downstream. Pretty much every organization that donates to a political campaign expects favors or cover for shady behavior. And it may be understood ahead of time that this will happen so as to encourage donations.
Mayor Tyer did not win her first election because she had any experience or expertise in running a city. She won because she had massive money behind her and also because her opponent had himself become unpopular due to handing out favors. (think Sarafonee)
Money buys elections in Pittsfield and seems to ensure that every sucessive mayor will be worse than the one before. There is no oversight. There are no checks and balances. (right Mr. Marchetti?) The mayor pretty much owns all the department heads and she herself is owned by the benefactors of the bloated tax receipts.
Where does left hand stand with all her good friend TFB’s comments. She is the ultimate authority on investigating the circumstances on death in the county. Or is this not fashionable enough for her. Where’s the outrage from angry Andrea? Is she still in the phone with the registry over her license?
She’s also on the Dancing Team.
If TFB knows something she has an obligation as a public official not just to say something but to do something. She doesn’t even understand what her responsibilities are. They extend beyond glad handing and showing up at events as a cheer leader with her pals in the mutual admiration society. These are people who, when their claws come out, it is not to right some wrong, but to scratch each other’s backs.
Exactly. She made the claim but she doesn’t provide any evidence in support of it. She owes this to the public, the politicians, and to BHS.
Speaking of claims – would the real Helen Moon please stand up!
Will a special Planet award go to the reader who uncovers why Moon was sacked by the DAs office?
Yes. Speaking of which, we will be taking nominations for THE PLANET’s coveted Orbit Award.
I saw somebody called out Handgun Moon for her BS claims of being arrested on Twitter.
Dan-she immediately brought up your name and stated, that “You mean Dan Valenti can’t find the arrest.”
This post was one of her typical “white men….bashing posts.”
So Dan, sounds like she’s doubling down on this “arrest.” She was asked to produce the case number, but never responded back.
I would cast my vote for the “Orbit,” award to the person who can produce this “arrest report,” or why Wrong-Way canned her. I think part of her undoing, Is when she went after Darren Derby. I’m sure the DA’s office took a lot of heat for that.
The left calls for tolerance and better public relations with the police. Darren does this, but he’s a white man, so that’s not good enough for Handgun Moon.
Maybe it’s time for a full fledged background report on Handgun. I might even pay for one to prove she’s a lying piece of sh*t and send it to you Dan. I’m not sure how much info I could post, being the reason?
MARC
Not only can’t Dan Valenti find the arrest report, neither can the Berkshire Eagle, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the Boston Police Department, the State Police, or any other law enforcement body that might have the records. From the best evidence, the arrest didn’t happen. Which strongly suggest that Moon is lying through her non-white, non-male pearly whites. Until she produces the reports, she’s lying.
Sometimes people who misrepresent facts get fired. Uh oh. Does not look good on a resume. Will marchetti fire her too?
Moon. Inscrutable lady from east. Fortune say bad medicine for her. She no like call her out.
Did anyone look in the comic section of those papers for any record of it? Try there.
Good suggestions. Short of that, either the obit page or classifieds under “Help Wanted.”
CW II on the way?
The nationwide democrat voter fraud is about to SHTF.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/breaking-now-democrat-attorneys-general-align-pennsylvania-michigan-wisconsin-georgia-nearly-every-state-picked-sides/
The whole country knows now that the state of Texas sued Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Monday night in the US Supreme Court challenging their unlawful election procedures.
Texas argued these four states violated the US Constitution because they made changes to voting rules and procedures through the courts or through executive actions. But these states did not make the changes through the state legislatures as spelled out in the US Constitution.
We reported earlier today that President Trump joined Texas in suing the four states being sued by Texas.
Last night we reported 18 states have to date joined Texas in their case against the four states:
Next we reported that 106 US House Republicans have signed a brief backing Texas in this case (the list should be over 200):
And then this afternoon, the Pennsylvania House joined the case:
Now blue states and a couple of territories have gotten involved and have joined Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin. They are fine with massive corruption as long as they gain power:
Even the Democrat Attorney General from North Carolina, where Trump won the election, has joined with fellow Democrat Attorneys General.
In addition to the above, Ohio joined Texas but then backtracked (so we really don’t know where to put them) and Wyoming decided to stay out of it. Iowa, Kentucky, Alaska, New Hampshire and Idaho appear to have decided to stay out of the case as well. Nearly the entire country is in the game now. (see map above).
The number of states and entities joining Texas in their suit against the big four states involved in stealing the 2020 election continues to grow. This case isn’t bogus or seditious, this case is valid and that is why states are picking sides.
Texas of all places should know enough to stay in their lane. Bunch of Karens if you ask me.
So your O.K. with voter fraud nationwide and fixed elections?
Be we have the cesspool known as Beacon Hill and you can’t get more crooked than that.
Saying fraud over and over isn’t the same demonstrating fraud.
Thousands of sworn statements have been presented by Witnesses to the fraud.
They have the fraud on video tape that that took place in Georgia voye counting center. The felons on the tape have lawyered up.
They have video of the 4 AM ballot dump in Detroit.
Batting average.000
There is no fraud. The case was bounced summarily. Now Trump can go and take his place on the ridiculous new media platform to be bellicose & bitch endlessly until he dies or is incarcerated and then dies.
Videos, like motion pictures are an art of the illusion. You can have a video of 40,000 ballots or 40,000 parrots, whatever you want to satisfy your fantasy.
The election was a farce, and Americans can’t trust elections, nor “elected” officials.
We are offically a Banana Republic, complete with voting machines from Venezuela, and votes sent to Europe, for counting/processing.
December 11, 2020
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
After reading the CommonWealth news article about the nursing home death debacle in Pittsfield (Mass.), please note that the lovely ladies who run Pittsfield politics blame everyone except themselves! Whatever happened to leaders who accepted accountability for their management and policies? The news article states that “Berkshire Healthcare Systems, which runs Hillcrest, has a similar theory but doesn’t know exactly what brought the [Covid-19] virus in.” The lovely Linda Tyer and Tricia Farley Bouvier are blaming the community for dozens of nursing homes deaths based on a theory. Could you imagine being put on trial for the deaths of dozens of elderly nursing home deaths based on state and local politicians accusing you of crimes based on a theory? As much as I like Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer, and while I am not a fan of Pittsfield State Representative Tricia Farley Bouvier, I believe they both should resign their elected offices for the nursing home debacle, not taking any accountability for their failed leadership, and blaming the community for the deaths of dozens of nursing home residents based on a theory.
In Truth!
Jonathan Melle
—– Forwarded Message —–
From: CommonWealth <amiddle@massinc.org>
To: Jonathan A. Melle
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2020, 11:06:10 AM EST
Subject: At Pittsfield nursing home, outsiders are suspected cause of outbreak
The Download: Today’s news
“At Pittsfield nursing home, outsiders are suspected cause of outbreak”
By Sarah Betancourt – CommonWealth reporter – December 11, 2020
Amid rising coronavirus case numbers, Gov. Charlie Baker has pointed to community spread and informal gatherings at home as the leading culprit. Now, legislators and health officials are following his lead in trying to explain the outbreak of the virus at Hillcrest Commons in Pittsfield.
The number of COVID-19 deaths at the nursing and rehabilitation center climbed to 32 on Wednesday, with three quarters of residents having been infected with the virus in the last month.
The facility had a track record of zero confirmed COVID-19 cases a little more than a month ago, but then staff members started testing positive a couple weeks after Halloween.
In early November, Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer began warning of a large spike in COVID-19 cases related to house parties and dining inside restaurants. It wasn’t until those numbers grew that the presence of the virus took over at Hillcrest.
The numbers shot up from two infected residents to 93 in a week, and now at least 166 of 224 residents have the virus. Over 75 staff have also tested positive.
On Facebook, Rep. Patricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield said there’s a “direct line” between the Halloween parties in Pittsfield and a group of indoor diners at the end of October to the outbreak at Hillcrest Commons.
Berkshire Healthcare Systems, which runs Hillcrest, has a similar theory but doesn’t know exactly what brought the virus in. “But I think we know that when we see community spread in any community, and there are nursing homes in those communities, and workers live in those communities, we then see that translate into the community that our residents live in,” said vice president and spokesperson Lisa Gaudet.
Gaudet similarly told the Berkshire Eagle that the source could have been a visitor before visitation was suspended on November 18, or a staff member or new admission in early November. Hillcrest froze admissions on November 24. The state Department of Public Health sent a rapid response team to Hillcrest the day before.
Four residents of Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center In Lenox, – which also is owned by Berkshire Healthcare Systems, have died.
As of Friday morning, there are 769 active cases in Pittsfield, which saw cases grow exponentially the week after Halloween in a climb that hasn’t stopped since.
Tri-Town Health Department Executive Director Jim Wilusz told the Berkshire Eagle the cases were imminent. “We knew this was coming, it was only a matter of time after Halloween,” he said.
Dr. Alan Kulberg, the chair of the western Massachusetts city’s Board of Health, had a similar take.
“We do know that there were quite a few staffers who had the virus,” he told WBUR, “and the prevailing thinking is that many of these staffers became ill outside the institution, as a result of their own social connections, and thereafter brought the illness into the facility.”
Actual negligence doesn’t seem to be part of the issue. Julia Durchanek, a Holyoke attorney who serves as a guardian for a number of residents at Massachusetts nursing homes, including one COVID positive resident living at Hillcrest, said she always has found that staff there are “very attentive” and “doing their best,” very different from Holyoke Soldiers Home, where one of her clients died earlier this year.
I had to laugh at the Health Board and the City giving Methuselah a written warning? Hello? She’s been in violation at least three times. She just doesn’t care. But why should we cut her a break at the expense of those who are harshly treated, especially when it’s safety violation.
This Councilor is a piece of garbage,does nothing at the city council,and doesn’t and even pay attention during ZOOM meetings.
Close that business down DICK and stop making excuses to her.
Do you really think the Board of Health makes any diciplinary decsions without asking the mayor what to do first? Not in this berg baby!! And I doubt any other dept. head has any real authority.
In a related story, I doubt if the mayor makes many decisions without input from HER bosses.
Every time I see Dicki hes either at a Bar or OTB
Every time Dicki sees you you’re either at a Bar or OTB
The point she’s making she never sees him anywhere else? Figedy Thomas. And sure she isn’t on the License Board.
These democrat appointees are dull just like Berkshires own. Talking about Abe Lincoln. Bunch of mofo posers. No Energy
Ouch! You are ending it here on the Planet? You cold hearted bas@“rd! Is there someone else?
I heard that SCOTUS held a conference today on whether to take the Texas case, or just to talk about it because they’re going to hear it? Can’t believe there is no word yet.
In any event, it is a nationwide Gladiators v. Challengers, including Trump himself.
So, let’s get it on! (I hope)
Idea here is to have SCOTUS remand the choice of presidential electors to the four state legislatures in question.
The case is on the constitutional issues–state legislatures did not properly change election rules–govenors can’t; secretaries of state can’t; judges can’t.
The case’s primary objective is not the fraud per se.
One thing about the fraud is that it is CRIMINAL. And that would take too much time–grand jury indictments, witnesses, etc.
The fraud is so massive that it’ll take years to prosecute it all.
This is in no doubt a tragic situation, for those who have lost loved ones and those who died. I hope their last days were not too painful or scary.
One thing I wonder- has the number of deaths at HC been standard over the course of the last 10 months or fewer than usual? I ask because I hear that people who have succumbed the the virus are “very old” and I wonder if this virus attacked a population of
people who had been spared other typical illness over the course of this pandemic due to all the germ-spreading precautions that have taken place.
Well someone please tell Matt Soker or Shane Sverre that the morning show at P C T V has no viewers and is a waste of technology and money.
They get paid the same if the shows are good or if they suck.
Well that one does suck.
Pretty sure dying alone without family is worst case scenario – nothing tops that !
Unfortunately their last days were both painful and scary. Lots of mismanagement of this virus from Hillcrest Commons and BHS. My relative came down with many of the usual colds that she would always get around this time of the year while in quarantine so germs were getting in, but not COVID until November 18th. You can be sure if Joe Biden comes down with COVID or Kamala Harris, both will receive the top of the line treatment for this virus which includes the antibodies.
You mean like Trump, Juliani and the whitehouse staff get, even though they are the ones spreading it amoung themselves because they are too stupid to know any better? Like those guys?
Guiliani caught the virus from his son. Interacting with family is still allowed. Guiliana didn’t catch this from President Trump who was sick 2 months ago with the virus. Protect your liberal friends as best you can, but the fact is that the super spreaders are in our own healthcare system right here in Berkshire County. People who should know better and who should realize that the elderly will not get the best treatment or survive it like some younger people.
You must work in the white house Pat. Seem to have a lot of inside information. Can you get me the signature of the MYPillow guy please? He is sooo cool man.
This is an odd comment Phil. What exactly are you driving at? It seems like you’re trying to suggest that the people who died may have been people who would have died otherwise from “other typical illnesses” if it wasn’t due to precautions as a result of the Corona virus. Bizzarre.
I just read the iBerkshires article regarding the city council meeting.
Now let’s get this straight.
A bar called Methuselah has been accused of multiple, serious Covid and alcohol license violations.
Somewhere along the way, this bar is accused of being a super spreader location that made its way (allegedly, in part) to Hillcrest Commons resulting in 29 recent Covid deaths.
Methuselah is owned by Yuki, who is also on the city council, and is the mayor’s friend. At one debate before her election, when asked why she chose to run for City Council, she smiled sweetly and looked at someone in the audience (presumably the mayor) and told the crowd “a friend asked me to run.”
Interestingly, Yuki also caught the Covid at her bar but appears to have recovered quickly and well from the disease in short time. Good for her.
So Yuki is the mayor’s friend, on the city council, and only received a written warning about the violations. Other city establishments that were in violation of
Covid restrictions had been brought before the licensing board.
Another Councilman, Maffuccio, was adamant about bringing Yuki before the licensing board because of the violations.
Meanwhile a member of the licensing board, Lampiasi, also sits on the city council. This lady was able to stay and listen to discussions on this matter while Yuki, the accused, was asked to leave.
Meanwhile, another sitting member of the council, Kavey, also happens to be former employee of Yuki.
And if it wasn’t already sketchy enough…half of the remaining board members are frequent flyers of their friend and colleague Yuki’s bar.
Did I miss any more extreme conflicts if interest?
This clusterfuck is unbelievable.
PHIL
Excellent recap. This issue needs closer examination.
BMC is not using correct treatment on the elderly at BMC. After my relative arrived at the hospital, having been sent there by the nursing home, the doctor calls me and asks me why my relative is there at the hospital? Well, she is an extremely elderly woman with health problems who just tested positive for COVID was the answer. What a stupid question. Then they waited until she came down with a high fever before even starting her on the Remdesimir. By then the virus had really got a hold. Early treatment is the key. Don’t wait until they begin to show symptoms. I didn’t think I had to tell them that, how to do their job, but apparently I did. It may or may not have helped her if she was started on the drug earlier, but they should have at least made the effort.
Libs still don’t want to prescribe chloroquine as Dr. Faucci, big Pharma, and their Chi-Com friends can’t make any loot off it.
What medical degrees do you have? When did you go to medical school? What states are you licensed to practice medicine in?
It’s a little thing called common sense. You don’t need a medical degree to have it. All of these elderly people surviving COVID are being whisked away for immediate treatment as soon as they test positive for the virus. With the elderly, you can’t twiddle your thumbs waiting for pneumonia to set in before beginning treatment. By that time, the virus has taken control and their frail bodies will be unable to fight it off especially using weak drugs like Remdesimir which even the World Health Organization has said doesn’t do much in hospitalized patients, but may help in the early stages of the disease. I don’t always trust WHO, but liberals hang on their every word and then ignore their advice.
Common Sense ! , Common Sense ! Simply a subjective reconciliation of your personal beliefs and feelings. May or may not be actual reality but a pontification of one’s conceived perception. Sorry, didn’t mean to demean your “little thing”.
You lack enough common sense to understand medical degrees are not folksy home remedies and just fantasies in your head.
Jesus the fact your counter to not having a medical degree is “common sense” is terrifying.
I don’t consider what I see with my own eyes to be “folksy home remedies”. We are seeing famous elderly people in their late 70s recover from COVID very quickly in maybe 3 days from what they are being given. It’s not witch doctor medicine or casting spells. They are getting therapeutics that work against the virus. Democrat states are refusing to give access to these life saving drugs for their citizens. That’s politics and they don’t care if we live or die.
It’s not witch doctor or folksy medicine. It’s what I see with my own eyes. Certain therapeutics that Democrat states like Mass. are not giving us access to, are saving lives. Witness the miraculous recoveries of many high profile elderly people just recently.
Our family has an elderly relative at Berkshire Place Nursing Home and they have done a tremendous job in keeping the residents safe. Our relative was initially at Mt. Carmel which is not nearly as nice as Berkshire Place: had to share a room and bath and our relative’s tablet was stolen. Interesting though, as crowded as Mt. Carmel was when our relative was there – I don’t believe there have been any reports of COVID at that facility. Bottom line, hats off to Berkshire Place, thanks to all who work there and thanks to management for keeping folks safe.
The most incredulous picture we saw were the dignitaries assembled Dancing on grass no less, at that get together about a couple months ago. What message did that send to the public and bar and restaurant owners when the edict of the Governor tells us how to assemble in public? The D A was there,state rep,the vigilant Mayor? What is wrong with these people?
Also,Councilor Maffuccio should be given plaudits on his advocacy of the homeless which the city has dropped the ball and his comments to send violations from a city council members Bar to the License Board.
Unfortunately, one of the members of the board Dick,mentioned that an inquiry from a council member wasn’t in their pervue concerning the recent allegations by Councilor Maffuccio. Then who’s is it?
Great questions, JACCII. Thanks for the input.
Who ordered the Board of Health to give her Yuki,just a written warning?
If the Director of the health board gave the directive of written warning she should be fired.
THE PLANET will be posting on this Monday.
TFB routinely calls the paper and tries to influence articles, have her “opinion pieces” posted as fact, tries to have one sided interviews and press releases published as news articles.
This recent set of lies about tracing Covid at Hillcrest to super spreader events is no different.
She has slowly learned to call and not email or text, public records law and all.
Allegedly this conversation took place in the office earlier this week.
She called and wanted, what ended up as a Facebook post, to be an article about super spreading and the two restaurants she was blaming was Portsmits and Mazzeo’s, she slo threw zucchini’s under the bus but her two main focuses were Portsmits and Mazzeo’s. Yuki was not part of the discussion at all.
“The tracing clearly shows it was the party at Portsmits and at Mazzeo’s. Mazzeo’s had over 30 people in a private room for a party.” (We’d confirmed this did not happen).
“The tracing shows it!” When pressed about corroboration, or data. “I’m telling you, I’m on the record. I know what happened.”
If you have access to the data, can we see it?
“It’s confidential, I have access because of my need to know, I can’t give it to you but I’m telling you what happened.”
She was incredulous that anyone would question her.
It ended up as a Facebook post with innuendo and no facts.
We do know something caused the event at Hillcrest. In doing background it seems to be two specific events.
1. Was a patient being moved from another BHS facility to Hillcrest (we are 90% sure it’s Fairview)
2. Fairview and Hillcrest staff and some fill in caregivers had Covid from working at other facilities and came in while sick. There was also a food service person who helped spread the disease or so it seems. This food service person does not work in any other food service capacity locally or otherwise at any restaurants.
This is supported by the fact that multiple units had infections, some of those units are restricted or lock down dementia units, so only the staff can go between the two areas.
Anonymous employee sources indicate they were told to come in while sick and that the “didn’t have Covid” and they would “lose their job if they missed their shift”. At least 7 of those employees later tested positive for Covid.
Nursing administration seems to be the main culprit. You will never read that story in the Eagle. They are already soft balling and spinning it.
Thanks, ER.
“The puzzling aspect of the massive outbreak of COVID-19 at Hillcrest Commons is how the virus was able to spread so fast, so thoroughly, and so deadly. This is, after all, a health CARE facility, not a health ruination institution.”
No, it’s not puzzling at all. This is what has happened at LTC facilities all across the country, the reason why they account for 40% of Covid deaths. This virus hunts the elderly and compromised, period. Everywhere Covid spikes, LTC facilities lead the way. The world has known this since March, yet no country that has seen Covid spread has been able to keep it from penetrating nursing homes and the like. Worth remembering that the median tenure in a nursing home is about 5 months–and that’s not because patients decide to return home. These are highly vulnerable people. We do the best we can to protect them, but providing 100% protection 100% of the time is simply not possible.
And yet we continue to point fingers at people instead of mother nature when things turn bad. Because we’re irrational idiots. Hysterias suck. All perspective is lost. And before we know it, we’re effectively advocating evil while claiming the moral high ground.
Here’s a quiz that you may find interesting, Dan. I suspect it could be an eye-opener for you. But I’m more interested your honest, “gut feel” answers (assuming you aren’t familiar with the exact data).
BLARE
You state that “This is what happened at LTC facilities all across the countries.” That being the case, we must assume that it’s just a fluke, one of them Pittsfield things, that 29 or the 33 deaths in the city of late have been at Hillcrest. It’s also a fluke to have scores of staffers get sick. It’s another fluke to have so many residents come down with the virus. Your metaphysical aside about the moral dimension might be better left on the cutting room floor. And no, I don’t find the quiz interesting.
Fluke? What in hell are you talking about, Dan. Thousands of nursing homes have been struck by Covid. And when it happens, it’s the same pattern–there is a spate of deaths in a hurry. Because the residents are far more vulnerable to the virus taking root in their bodies and making them ill. At which point they become infinitely more infectious and it spreads like wildfire. A single staffer might be the vehicle into the home, or any other human being who enters the facility over the course of a day. But once it takes root, residents and staff alike are exposed.
Which part of this is confusing to you?
As for the quiz, of course you’re not interested. You’ve been scared to death by our feckless media and won’t be bothered to look into things for yourself.
Not the best historical recipe you’re endorsing, though, Dan. Make the people afraid. Very afraid. Make them so afraid they are willing to turn on one another as they submit to authority with all of their spirit. Make them revile those who question ANY of it.
When has that ended well?
BLARE
Yes, fluke. I’m talking Pittsfield, not Lame Deer, Wyoming. No other nursing home in Pittsfield has the number of deaths, the death rate, the number of staff-patient infections, and the percentage of staff-patient infections. Oh wait. I hear crickets. In kindness, I would point out that one of us is confused, and it’s not me. And yes, nice one at the end: Blame Dan. He’s the one making everyone afraid. Shoot the messenger, eh? As you ask, when has that ended well?
“No other nursing home in Pittsfield has the number of deaths, the death rate, the number of staff-patient infections, and the percentage of staff-patient infections. Oh wait. I hear crickets.”
Dan, there are three nursing homes in Pittsfield. You just don’t get it. One exposure in such a place can rapidly lead to dozens of staff/patient infections and multiple deaths. It either happens or it doesn’t. And it HAS happened quite a bit. To the tune of over 105k deaths nationwide, so God knows what your Lame Deer, WY reference meant. Are you even familiar with the stats in our own state? Out of 11,307 deaths, 6,997 have been nursing home residents.
And I didn’t say YOU are making everyone afraid. I said you ARE afraid and your fear is affecting your judgement, just like the majority of people. Mostly because we no longer have a functioning media. By definition journalists should be rowing in every direction. When the row as one, like now, we are in trouble.
You are but one minor example.
Thanks, B. My comments with respect to Hillcrest were about the situation in the city, not regionally, national, or internationally. Yes, three nursing homes, only one of which has been descended by a plague of viral locusts. Not to say the others haven’t had issues, but nothing, nowhere close to what is happening (present tense) at Hillcrest. And no, I am not afraid. You would have no way of judging that, though you are entitled to make your analysis based on what I write or anything else, including sunspots and subterranean waters. As for journalists rowing in every direction, that’s a point well taken when it comes to the mainstream media. Fortunately, I am outside of that. Funny thing is, I have been outside of it my entire career — even when I was inside of it. THE PLANET appreciates your participation on this board.
Dan,
I don’t mean afraid as in “chicken” I mean afraid in the sense of giving our leaders carte blanche to take measures against Covid because the virus is THAT bad. As you point out, I would normally expect you to be the type of journalist to push back on the narrative, someone for whom alarm bells would be ringing non-stop by now.
That is partly why I offered that earlier quiz. The fact is, people in general have ZERO concept of the age and health related risks posed by Covid. Because our media and the hysterics in charge have made such discussions verboten. To point out that Covid poses effectively zero risk for kids is equated with being indifferent to the elderly dying. Conversation over.
When I ask acquaintances to guess what % of under 18 deaths have been caused by Covid this year, the lowest answer I’ve received is 10%. The actual number is 0.5%. About 27,000 kids have died this year and 133 have been from Covid. I’ve seen at least 30 media long-form profiles of the kids who have died from Covid and their suffering. Awful stories one and all. I bet 26,887 other families could tell equally awful stories of tragedy and suffering, but those aren’t the stories that sell and keep the fear high.
Have to run, but will leave you with this.
Herman Goehring: “The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.”
The attackers need not be in human form for the principle to apply.
Nice comments! I agree, the long profiles of children who get it and die go way beyond the actual ripples of the story. The only ones who need to be distraught over such a case would be the family, friends, and loved ones of those 133. Sad, tragic, yes, but as a cautionary tale that alarms everyone? No.
Thanks, Dan. To the extent that I get feisty, hope you understand it’s not personal. Just frustration. I conduct and synthesize research for a living, with a with a strong emphasis on data science and modeling. Seeing journalism by anecdote supplant the honest assessment of hard data has been depressing. But far worse has been the abuse of mathematics the underpins it all. Since the moment that incomprehensible moron Neil Ferguson raised the specter of tens of million dying in months, rational thought has gone out the window. Globally. Hysteria has guided us ever since.
Studying Covid has been an avocation of mine since spring. The conclusion are inescapable to me. Any data I cite is only to try to convince you (and others) to take a closer look at what is going on, even if you’re reluctant to agree with me. If I post anything that’s false or misleading, PLEASE call me on it. I am not above bias creeping into my thoughts, given the strength of my beliefs.
As for the abuse of math, I think you’ll find this article interesting. Incredibly thoughtful, precient words written by Dr. Sunetra Gupta almost 20 years ago. Dr. Gupta is now at the forefront of the effort to combat Covid hysteria, and has been smeared en masse by Covid hysterics despite her impeccable credentials and reputation for genius.
https://www.nature.com/articles/35088152
BLARE
I appreciate your passion, which sometimes translates as feistiness. I’ve been known to do the same! I understand it’s not personal. In fact, I love how we’ve been able to have this exchange of views, still keep an open mind, and remain friends. You have helped me not just on this issue but others.
Dan, just down the road there is Kimball Farms.
The ratio of patient beds to deaths compares with Hillcrest.
Another BHS care facilty. Is there a connection there?
I suspect this post will be censored too, Dan. Some forum for free exchange you’ve got working here!
Suffice it to say, you have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. What happened at Hillcrest is not some anomaly that points toward malfeasance and human guilt. It’s been happening everywhere in the country.
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/features/health/why-vaccinate-our-most-frail-odd-vote-out-shows-the-dilemma/article_25ae0c6e-eb61-54ec-9877-c22ff46a3a48.html
BLARE
Well, you’re obviously wrong again. Your post wasn’t censored!
Ok, but it’s weird–sometimes I post and 12 hours later the post hasn’t appeared, while dozens of other posts in the interim have.
It happened all over nursing homes in New York State due to Mario Cuomo pushing Covid patients into nursing homes, so his buddies could get a check for each infected person they took in.
But Mario feels no malfeasance nor a bit of human guilt.
Mario is as bad as Jeffery Amherst, who gave the American Indians blankets contaminated with smallpox.
Did BH$ admini$tration really force sick staff to report to work?
Not just a lack of guilt–he wrote freaking book, while all this is still going on, extolling his own leadership! The man is a sociopath, pure and simple.
Meanwhile, Fauci has praised Cuomo every step of the way. Maybe you missed the Fauci/Cuomo lovefest interview the other day where Cuomo compared himself and Fauci to DeNiro and Pacino. A few days ago Fauci also cited NY and VT as the states that got Covid right!
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dr-fauci-says-two-states-131323570.html
He should be removed from his position immediately on that basis alone. NY has had the worst Covid outcome in the nation according to virtually every metric. And in the process Cuomo decimated the poor and kids and small business owners in way that can’t be fully measured. NYC is DONE for the next decade. Eventually Fed Gov’t largesse will come to the rescue and we’ll all get to pay for Cuomo and DeBlasio’s stupidity.
More importantly, Fauci openly lied in that interview. NY is not performing well, they are experiencing the same NATURE DRIVEN spike as MA, RI, CT, etc. The northeast is moving together. More cases per capita than many states, including Florida, for weeks.
The virus doesn’t hunt the elderly. The virus hunts anybody. It just wants a warm body. The virus kills more elderly because they are vulnerable, but also because we don’t have any innovation in treatments for this disease or NONE that Massachusetts or other Democrat states will make available to the public. These elderly could have been saved, but politics got in the way and kept much needed new treatments (already approved) out of the reach of the elderly. Maybe if this disease hits close to home for them, people will understand our frustration. Bottom line is that nobody will care for you loved ones like you will. These very coldly run institutions are no substitute for the family unit.
Pat,
You are completely correct about therapeutics falling victim to politics. That is a huge story in itself. Think about HCQ. Once Trump recommended it (prematurely and based on ignorance, admittedly) people actively rooted for it to fail. During a pandemic! Seeing Trump proven wrong was preferable to an effective treatment leading to less human suffering.
After Trump’s endorsement, two major studies declared that HCQ was not just ineffective but DANGEROUS, after which most other studies were halted for safety reasons. Turns out that BOTH of those major studies were fraudulent and later completely retracted. But state-sanctioned studies of HCQ never returned.
Thankfully, some docs have actually practiced medicine rather than implement policy indiscriminately and used HCQ to great effect. With zero media coverage. Dismissed as quacks. Look up a guy named Bryan Tyson in CA. Has treated over 2k Covid patients of all ages, with zero deaths and only a few hospitalizations.
Instead we have approved Remdesivir as the standard of care, a drug with a long history of deep ties to Fauci etal., which has been proven ineffective and requires a lengthy hospital stay.
Say, did I mention that MA hospitals have so far received over $80k per treated Covid patient from the feds?
Bleh, this whole thing is so filthy it makes my skin crawl. And then there’s the kids.
I was giving your writings a fair reading until you jumped on Dr Fauci and praised Trump. So now I see your post as more of a political one than a fair and balanced educated one.
Just saying
Which line constitutes “praise” of Trump?
As for Fauci, he has been a political animal his entire career. He knows how to secure funding. It’s no accident that Infectious Diseases receive the same amount of funding as Heart Disease and Cancer, despite the fact that each year 20% of us die of cancer, 20% die of heart disease and less than 2% die from infectious diseases.
Feel free to take issue with any of the info I present, but maybe counter it with info of your own rather than generic political aspersions.
And maybe ask yourself this. We have known since April that 80-90% of bad Covid outcomes occur in people with nutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin D. Why have Fauci etal. failed to recommend that ALL OF US do what we can to address these deficiencies, up to and including taking supplements? The only “risk” is that it won’t work and make things better. There is no other downside. Kind of like a no-cost option–it has upside only.
Can you think of a legitimate reason Fauci has NOT dispensed this advice broadly and made it a priority? His only recommendation in September was in passing and tepid. Here’s what he said–to Jennifer Garner (gosh Fauci loves his fame, doesn’t he?):
“If you are deficient in vitamin D, that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection. So I would not mind recommending, and I do it myself taking vitamin D supplements,” Fauci, 79, said during an Instagram Live on Thursday, when actress Jennifer Garner asked Fauci about immune-boosting supplements.
The words of Dr. Fauci, life ling infectious disease bureaucrat:
“Living in greater harmony with nature will require changes in human behavior as well as other radical changes that may take decades to achieve: rebuilding the infrastructures of human existence, from cities to homes to workplaces, to water and sewer systems, to recreational and gatherings venues. In such a transformation we will need to prioritize changes in those human behaviors that constitute risks for the emergence of infectious diseases. Chief among them are reducing crowding at home, work, and in public places as well as minimizing environmental perturbations such as deforestation, intense urbanization, and intensive animal farming. Equally important are ending global poverty, improving sanitation and hygiene, and reducing unsafe exposure to animals, so that humans and potential human pathogens have limited opportunities for contact.”
This is called gas lighting via pseudo-science. Infectious disease deaths in the U.S. have been in decline for a century.
(Cont’d)
Here is the conclusion of the paper I quoted last post, which was co-authored by Fauci in August:
“SARS-CoV-2 is a deadly addition to the long list of microbial threats to the human species. It forces us to adapt, react, and reconsider the nature of our relationship to the natural world. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are epiphenomena of human existence and our interactions with each other, and with nature. As human societies grow in size and complexity, we create an endless variety of opportunities for genetically unstable infectious agents to emerge into the unfilled ecologic niches we continue to create. There is nothing new about this situation, except that we now live in a human-dominated world in which our increasingly extreme alterations of the environment induce increasingly extreme backlashes from nature.
Science will surely bring us many life-saving drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics; however, there is no reason to think that these alone can overcome the threat of ever more frequent and deadly emergences of infectious diseases. Evidence suggests that SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 are only the latest examples of a deadly barrage of coming coronavirus and other emergences. The COVID-19 pandemic is yet another reminder, added to the rapidly growing archive of historical reminders, that in a human-dominated world, in which our human activities represent aggressive, damaging, and unbalanced interactions with nature, we will increasingly provoke new disease emergences. We remain at risk for the foreseeable future. COVID-19 is among the most vivid wake-up calls in over a century. It should force us to begin to think in earnest and collectively about living in more thoughtful and creative harmony with nature, even as we plan for nature’s inevitable, and always unexpected, surprises.”
All that pablum, yet no recommendations to people about how to maximize their health and strengthen their own fantastically efficient immune systems. Why, it’s almost as if Fauci’s more interested in Covid serving as the basis for a re-ordering of the world in a way that is governed by the fear infectious diseases, and not so concerned with individual patients. So confusing. He seems so nice. And I LOVE the fact that his life is a non-stop rotation of celebrity interviews, magazine profiles, magazine covers, etc. That is EXACTLY what I look for in a doctor. A rockstar who owns his fame.
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31012-6#%20
Completely on target Blare. I agree with your posts.
Fauci is a phony Democrat and he did everything to undermine President Trump during this COVID crisis. He was the biggest voice saying don’t wear masks along with other confusing information he was pushing on the public on fighting the virus and now this phony is the big hero of the liberals while they put down President Trump for not wearing a mask.
People have more faith in Dr. Pepper than Dr. Fauci.
Please tell me what is not fair and balanced about the following.
Remember when AIDS hysteria took root? The history is fascinating. The MOST fascinating part is that it traces back to the same guy. Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Based upon a local “study” of a few families, Dr. Fauci used his status at the NIH to amplify the conclusions: Close contact, including handshakes, hugs, etc might possibly spread AIDS. Which he said was a disease with a mortality rate of “at least 50%.”
Then he said the same thing in an article in Life magazine.
BOOM!
AIDS hysteria based on ignorance was born.
It is filthy. They are also giving the elderly, many with Dementia, these steroids which are making them agitated and causing falls in the hospital. When people are trying to heal they should be relaxed and not have their mental issues worsened by these treatments. COVID can cause confusion and other cognitive issues in people, especially the elderly, without throwing steroids into the mix. Steroids help some people to avoid inflammation, but are not proven to help as much with the elderly. My relative wasn’t even given Remdesimir until she already had pneumonia and high fevers. So there is very little help to be had from the therapeutics they are giving these elderly at BMC.
I think you’re confusing “median tenure” with “average length of stay, which is closer to three years. At least it seems that way, based upon the point you were trying to make.
https://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes/articles/how-to-pay-for-nursing-home-costs
https://www.aaltci.org/long-term-care-insurance/learning-center/probability-long-term-care.php
https://www.mylifesite.net/blog/post/so-ill-probably-need-long-term-care-but-for-how-long/#:~:text=The%20average%20stay%20in%20a,nursing%20home%20is%20270%20days.)
No, the average (mean) length of stay will always be higher. A few patients survive for years and skew it higher.
The true median depends on the source, but the point remains.
https://www.geripal.org/2010/08/length-of-stay-in-nursing-homes-at-end.html
I saw that article when I first googled average length of stay, but the article was ten years old and based on a study that was 14 years old, and all of the other more recent studies said differently.
After 5 months and 11 days since July 1, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker finally signed into law Massachusetts state government’s fiscal year 2021 state budget [on Friday, December 11, 2020]. It makes no financial sense to me because Beacon Hill is raising state spending by between 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent, while they are dealing with an estimated $3.6 billion state budget deficit.
It took until today (11-December-2020) for Beacon Hill to accomplish one major achievement all year long. Next month, Beacon Hill will be proposing tax hikes for the fiscal year 2022 state budget, which begins on July 1, 2021. I believe that the State Representatives and State Senators who support state tax increases should first vote to cut all of their public pay and perks by 50 percent.
After the Holyoke Soldiers Home debacle, Governor Charlie Baker should have resigned his seat in elected office in disgrace. I remember when my dad was a Berkshire County Commissioner (January 1st, 1997 – July 1, 2000), Governor Bill Weld, then the late Governor Paul Cellucci, and bureaucrat Charlie Baker oversaw billions of dollars in cost overruns from Boston’s “Big Dig” debacle. My dad told the State Representatives on Beacon Hill that he could run Berkshire County Government for 5,000 years based on the “Big Dig” multi-billion dollar cost overruns. Just like now, they did not care about their costly failures in human life and mismanagement of limited public financial resources over 20 years ago.
Pittsfield’s nursing home debacle where dozens of senior citizens died of Covid-19 is in the news this week. The Pittsfield politicians failed big time, but none of them are taking any responsiblity for their lousy leadership. Instead, Pittsfield politics is blaming their careless community for the spread of Covid-19 based on a theory without any evidence.
In closing, Governor Charlie Baker on down the political line from Boston to Pittsfield should all resign their elected offices in disgrace.
Now – you see I thought Tricia was trying to drag Missy into it and splatter her again in order to deflect from Yuki. We all know Yuki broke the law numerous times. Most people who really screw up try harder the next time, she doesn’t give a shit. I don’t think Yuki is responsible for dead senior citizens but I think her friend Adam Hinds absolutely is. He appointed the good for nothing nit wits that ran soldiers home, which also got no coverage here or in BB. The people of this city have no one to blame when they keep electing these jerks. If you elect selfish dishonest jerks eventually bad things happen. Because they don’t care about anyone but themselves.
If Mr Maffuci would like to be mayor all he has to do is campaign on promising an immediate forensic audit if he is elected. He will not even need too campaign or raise money.
But if he does this, someone may need to grab up all the paper shredders at city hall and put them under lock and key first thing.
And do NOT let anyone in the Auditing Room that shouldn’t be there to begin with.. Aside…Charlie Pride dead 86 years old.
He had a good run.
Ha ha ha do you really think he would have a chance ha ha the powers to be would not allow it. I think you first have to audit the voter rolls and then find out what machines are used for counting the votes
Well, I must admit, that given the often negative tone of this blog, I figured the complaints about the changes to traffic flow and the bike lanes and parallel parking were all overblown. And then today I drove down North Street and almost plowed into some vehicles when the double lane suddenly became one.
While I firmly believe in trying new things, and recognize that you can’t hit it out of the park every time, some ideas are so bad, they should never leave the drawing board, and this is clearly one of them. North Street is one of the most heavily traveled roads in the city, with, if I remember right, well over 10,000 vehicles traversing it per day. And yet we give up a lane of traffic, and create a bottleneck and a safety hazard to create a bike line heading into winter. Even if it was summer, how many bikes would use it? Fifty tops? Compared to over 10,000 vehicles? I just don’t get the math.
Now, the Commissioner of Public Safety stated it would slow down traffic, and of course he’s right. But it is done in an unsafe fashion, while completely disrupting the flow of traffic. There are many other ways to slow traffic if needed, including speed bumps (not that I’m advocating for them) but this new layout is just crazy.
Ironically, on the city website, the justification for the one by Linden and North is that it is a higher than average car crash location. I’m willing to bet that rather than reducing crashes, it will double or triple them.
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f98374bd56e542afafb8fce098770433
M7: Linden/North – Protected IntersectionWhat: Protected intersection demonstration at Linden / North
Why: Higher than average car crash location; would dovetail into protected bike lane demonstration (M4)
Materials: Paint, flex-posts, bike racks
Estimated Cost: $8,000
Slow down traffic? There is a set of lights every 50 yards.
Can’t wait for the new rotary coming to the intersection of Woodlawn and Tyler next year. Why? Because this city, more than anything, needs another bottle neck slowing down traffic trying to get from one side of the city to the other. And since the city has bascially a no rules roadway mentality, I can see a dozen or more accidents, minor or other wise, shutting down the flow entirely on a daily basis.
Wasn’t it the President of Pittsfield Downtown Inc that advocated keeping Methuselah Bar open in lieu of closing it down in one the previous violations?
Maybe she likes to down a few high balls at that location. And perhaps they are comped for her cooperative nature on all things political.
These latest health -safety violations should be separate from any License Board penalty’s impending in January. A Must watch. That includes any of the businesses that received written warnings and have had previous violations ie Methuselah, Proprietors….It will be interesting to see Miss Lampiasi’s voice at the next meeting, very interesting.
Many bars licenses have been taken away over the years because of multiple violations. These current establishments should be no different. Can you say lawsuits?
Can we start a list of all the people and institutions the Trump people have turned on? He started out by hiring and firing about 50 of the “best peope he could find.” He has fired several of his own lawyers, now they hate Fox news who built them up from the ground. Now they are mad at the Supreme Court that has six (6) republicans, 3 of which Trump appointed himself. Bill Barr lied and turned the constituion on its head for Trump and now he hates him too. And this just scratches the surface.
For Trump and whatever new government he is trying to form, you are only good to him based on what you do for him today. And he will flush those Proud Boys down the toilet as soon as he has an army of his own. Unless it is them, and it may be. By this time next year there will no long be a republican party but rather whatver morphs from what is left of this one and while it may not be visilble its soul will be Russian.
I sincerely believe this.
Will the Democrats flush Antifa since they have been using them for their dirty power mad purposes for a long time now. You sound totally ridiculous with this Russian/Trump nonsense that you continue to push long after it has been disproven as a hoax. China is our enemy and I, for one, will not let China or any of these Marxists off the hook for the role they played in the death of my relative from this virus and of so many others across this country who have died needlessly.
Trump’s failure to respond properly and model appropriate behavior such as wearing masks, caused many more people to die than necessary.
True enough. About one quarter of a million people. It fills his dark soul with pride as the devil smiles warmly upon him for his service. Donald (Grim Reaper) Trump straight from the fires of burning hell.
Berkshire County is very blue Democratic. Most everybody except our own politicians and some business owners are following the rules and still we lose a lot of people. Democratic politicians tell the people to do one thing and they do the opposite. We see this all across the country.
Thanks Pat – at least your not blaming the teachers.
For sure Berkshire history has shown a tendency for a democratic vote in elections. Oh really! Watch out, because you never know. Most everyone remembers George Wallace. If you don’t remember him look it up. George Wallace, a far right-wing republican, carried Berkshire Country. He really did! We are not dumbheads. Here’s the point: don’t take us for granted. We can think.
I don’t doubt that people in this area can think. I just wish they would think faster so this area doesn’t totally go down the tubes, we don’t lose more and more of our elderly to this virus (we need therapeutics that work until the vaccines kick in), and we don’t lose our hard fought for freedoms.
George Wallace has been dead for 22 years. Who was also shot.
Wallace was a democrat. Stay away from fake news Chuck. He NEVER was a republican.
This is not meant to be obnoxious. Honest question.
How many of you know who this man is?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oza1j2_WqBk
I wonder why you put 2nd wave in parenthesis, as if you think it’s hoax????? That would fall in line with the rest of the dumb ass boomer generation. Know it all, science denying old people. Glad you get off on hating on nurses who make shit money to get views. I’m sure the overpaid management voted for Trump. God knows you don’t give a shit about the victims, just “proving” your political point, while at the same time claiming this site is bipartisan. You and the rest of the old white folk keep drinking Trump’s Kool aid, the rest of us will carry on with reality
Wow it’s depressing that instead of running an article about Hillcrest the Eagle decided to run a PR piece for Yuki about why she ought to be allowed to break the law — because otherwise she will lose money. Well, dang. They really showed their true colors didn’t they?
Given all the economic prop-up that some businesses get — if they can’t friggin balance the books without breaking the licensing, zoning, health, and/or criminal laws of their community/commonwealth then maybe they should just pack it up? I mean, I could make loads more money if I sold illegal drugs, than if I just had my regular job, but it’s illegal. And if I ignore rules so I can make more money after the ridiculous perks I am already getting then shame on me. Or you Yuki and Eagle shame on you both.
Hey Dan,
Were you ever able to explore adding a feature, so that when you reply to a post, it quotes the post you are replying to and continues to come up as a new post? That way you can easily follow along. Having to constantly scroll back through over 100 posts to follow up on topics and conversations gets a little crazy. It can’t be too difficult to implement I would think. Pretty much every message board I’ve ever seen does it that way.
Let me look into this with my IT guy.