A young, six-point buck in Springside Park. He is seen in the same area the bike yahoos tore up with their Tuesday blowout. Read on to learn about the latest outrage perpetrated by the Bike Mafia. (Photo by Dan Miraglia)

BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 16-8, 2021) — Did the city of Pittsfield deliberately set up the paperwork for the soon-to-be-desecrated — oops, we mean “dedicated” — bike pump track in such a way that it could perform an end-around on state open bidding laws?

THE PLANET‘s investigation has uncovered documents that indicate such. The paper trail shows city purchasing agent — IN EARLY DECEMBER — already getting extremely nervous about what Jim McGrath of Deanna Ruffer’s Community Development Department is asking her to do.

In November 2020, the city put posted a mysterious notice for a Dec. 5 public meeting conducted by the Parks Commission. What’s odd about it is that it doesn’t mention the purpose of the meeting. THE PLANET didn’t understand that at the time. Now we do. The “agenda” wasn’t posted because that’s the day Alison McGee lured the commission to Springside Park to tell them all about the “economic engine” to be had by placing a dangerous pump track on some of the most biologically valuable public land the city owns.

Pump tracks are frequented by young, jejune thrill seekers who are so bored with their lives otherwise that they have to risk broken necks and death to get their kicks. The one who manage to do their extreme tricks then feel free to rampage at will through hiking trails meant for foot traffic only.

The deliberately vague public notice is the first bullet point below, after which we take you through the city’s sleazy process, step by step, revealed by the documents. THE PLANET‘s comments follow in brackets and italics.

We traced the venality back to the Office of Community Development, run by Boss Deanna Ruffer, who has the parks directly under her dull claws in the form of Jim McGrath, who again seems to have folded after a beating by the Boss.

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• In early December, presumably after the secret Dec. 5 meeting, McGrath contacts Boss Ruffer, directing her attention to an iBerkshires article “that lays out the [bike] proposal.” [Has the city stooped that low as to take a regurgitated puff piece published by a lame house organ as the basis of an outside proposal?? When it’s on the level, officials get the information first-hand from the outside company itself. By inference from what follows, it appears Ruffer wants her grubby mitts all over this and directs McGrath to “get ‘er dun.”

• On Dec. 8, “Green Light” McGrath emails purchasing agent Coleen Hunter-Mullet at 10:11 a.m.: “The park [sic] commission was approached about a project to install a bike skills ‘pump track’ at Springside Park.” [Note the use of the passive voice: “… was approached by …” hiding the identity of the approacher, i.e., McGee]. “Concerning how this project could be procured, I am looking to you for advice.” [McGrath working hard to cover his ass].
• Mullett responds Dec. 13, 2020 at 9:43 a.m.: “Jim, I’m out of the office on Monday, so it’ll have to wait until Tuesday.”
• McGrath to Mullet two days earlier, Dec. 11, 2020 at 12:45 p.m.: “Colleen, I’m out of the office but will plan to check in with you Monday about this project …” [Two observations: (1) Are city officials ever “in the office?” (2) McGee and Mullet are having trouble communicating.]

• On that same day at 12:42 p.m., Mullet to McGrath: “Jim, My recommendation would be to have the City bid the project. … This all seems a bit ‘too good to be true,’ if you know what I mean, so I have some reservations and just want to make sure I have all my bases covered.” [Wow. Smoking gun time. Mullett, clearly uneasy and suspicious, provides evidence that she suspects this project was fishy from the start.]
• On Dec. 15, 2020, Mullet exchanges emails with Deborah Anderson, state assistant attorney general, Construction Bid Unit. The two discuss state bidding laws. Anderson tells Mullet, “It sounds like the City would actually [have to] bid the construction piece, which is good since you avoid dealing with the tricky public/private issues that sometimes arise.” [Here we have the state expressing deep concern over “the tricky issue.” The builder is a private, for-profit company. The state is advising, “Stick to the law, kid.”]

• As for the final project, on the same day, Mullett tells Anderson she will recommend to McGrath that he can accept the donation of $20,000 in design work “[but] then we bid the construction ourselves for the exact reasons you listed. … It’s just a bit tricky and not a practice that’s encouraged because, for me, it gives the impression that we’re trying to avoid bid laws.” [Again, Mullet, is conveying her night-sweats to the asst. AG about this murky project. Notice again the word “tricky.”]

MULLET TO McGRATH: “It all seems too good to be true, if you know what I mean. …[I]t gives the impression that we’re trying to avoid bid laws.”

That’s exactly what THE PLANET is hearing now, seven months later, that builder New Hampshire-based Powder Horn has the job to pocket at least $400,000 without needing to worry about competition since the job will not be put out to bid. North Korea has Kim Jung Un. Pittsfield has Deanna Ruffer.

Mullett comes off having acted honorably. Can’t say as much for McGrath or his Boss. And where’s the mayor in all this?

Word to the wise: Keep tabs on all “stuffed, unmarked envelopes.”

———- ooo ———-

Think THE PLANET has them scrambling like Frank Tarkenton and running scared like Nick “200 Hours” Russo when he backed out of a council bid?

Yes, and that has been our intention from the start. Their call to arms supplies us with proof that they’re getting extremely nervous. Oh, we have no misconceptions that in the end, they will have all key city “representatives” and officials stuck in their spokes, making cool “motorcycle” noises like we kids did back in the day when we clothes-pinned Tony Kubek, Minnie Minoso, and Don Buddin to the spokes of our Murrays and Schwinns.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, not long after THE PLANET joined Mark Miller, Elizabeth Kulas, and Dan Miraglia of The Best Friends of Springfield for a recon field trip through Springside Park, a horde of mountain bikers invaded the park for a skills clinic organized by …

… Alison McGee. Another of those Pittsfield coincidences.

They were rattled by THE PLANET‘s presence and decided they needed a show of force to show yours truly, the “one-man mob scene” and voice crying out in the wilderness.

———- ooo ———-

About 200 bikers, probably the same number of vehicles (SUVs, trucks, cars), and 400-500 people descended on Springside like the Goths destroying Western Civilization. You didn’t know about that, did you?

Under McGee’s direction, they built tracks (driving stakes, rolling tape, and spray-painting the grass orange) from the playground area down to the hiking trails where you find the animal habitats. They brought in portapotties, tents, and vendors. They illegally turned the entire wetland grass — spongy soft because of all the rain — into a parking lot, causing untold damage to grass and trails. Cars and trucks were seen driving over the baseball field near a lovely stand of oak trees.

Young adults used playground equipment as obstacles, like something you’d see out of TV’s Jackass. Sure enough, some kid shattered his arm. An ambulance and firetruck showed up. Here’s the best part of all: First responders couldn’t get in because of all the yahoos and their illegally parked vehicles.

McGee calls these invasions “clinics,” implying teaching. Actually, she’s right. The “clinics” (actually races) teach young adults how to destroy trails and terrain with jackass racing maneuvers. They’re also being taught how to fragment natural habitats, threaten animal and plant life, and drive away other park visitors.There’s nothing learns about nature except to destroy it.

Great advertisement for this “healthy family activity.”

THE PLANET also heard from sources that in June the Parks Commission approved a series of six similar events by the same group that just literally invaded and took over the park. They are going to be held every Tuesday using different trails.

So here’s what you’ve got, Pittsfield citizens: At the same time the commission is deliberating on whether to award the group the use of park land for a permanent complex, they have already gave them a permit for the use of the same location.

“This is criminal,” Miraglia told THE PLANET. “The Parks Commission members should resign for ethic violations, failure to do their jobs.”

THE PLANET‘s Secret Squadron was on the scene for the McGee-McGraft bike bacchanalia. Here are some photos.

Fire fighters are trying to figure out how they can get the truck inside to treat an injured biker. They were blocked by hundreds of illegally parked vehicles.

An ambulance boxed in and backing out, trying to wedge through the obstacle course set up by yahoos who parked their vehicles any old place, doing untold damage to wetland grass.

Vendors, hucksters, and countless parked vehicles crowd, cramp, and crush the vernal areas near the center of the park.

Careless, clueless bikers head down a woodland trail, deep into the heart of the park where wildlife have their refuge. In foreground, a genius carves a deep path into the soft grass.

As P.T. Barnum observed, there’s one born every minute. Here, bikers wait in line for the start of a race that will end up doing untold damage. More great, “harmless, vibrant, dynamic” fun.

———- ooo ———-

How much longer, citizens, are you going to allow this type of irresponsibility by your elected and appointed officials?

You better rise up on this one, of it will be too late.

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“On a scale of North Korea to the City of Pittsfield, how free are you tonight?” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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