ORBITS and ORBITEERS … PITTSFIELD’s ‘SQUID GAMES’ … KAPANSKIS GET THE DREADED ‘TRIPLE WHAMMY’
PLANET VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION DEC. 8, 2021) — Allow THE PLANET to clean out the gutters today with tidbits that we either haven’t had time to develop or items too worn to not merit a full column but who’s nature calls for a shout.
ORBITEERS
Recently, THE PLANET announced the current list of nominees for the Coveted Orbit Award (COA). Currently, they are
- Mark and Linda Tully
- The City I Hate
- Jonathan Mele
- Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski
- Merry & Bright
- Terry Kinnas
- Patrick Fennell
- Helen “Handgun” Moon and Nick Caccamo.
The latter two were nominated for doing the city a great service. They’re not running again!
A reminder: Send in your nominees, and they shall be duly presented before the Selection Committee. Winners will be announced before the New Year.
NON SINE ULTRA
On that note, one of THE PLANETeers nominated the person who came up with NON for Nothing on North. THE PLANET agrees that this designation is instantly award-worthy. Incidentally, the same person came up with Nothing on Tyler (NOT) for Nothing on Tyler. Unfortunately, these brilliant appellations were invented by THE PLANET, who is, of course, ineligible for an Orbit. We do thank those who appreciate the two designations. They are, if we may say so ourselves, indicative of the sad reality the city tries to disguise on those two depressing thoroughfares.
PITTSFIELD’S SQUID GAMES
Speaking of NOT, THE PLANET just finished watching the Korean hit TV series Squid Games. We recommend it. We won’t put the show into the same category as, say, The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, but it’s worth a look for amusement and entertainment. In fact, the show has inspired us to submit to the producers of Netflix the sequel. For those not familiar with Squid Games, basically it’s the Korean version of Survival with the difference in degree. The losers aren’t just eliminated. They’re killed. So here’s the pitch. We advertise that anyone who enters the competition will be eligible for the enormous cash prize at the end. The game: Each contestant must drive through RICKEY’S RUMPUS, named in honor of Ricardo Morales, city DPW chief. The Rumpus consists of
- The Tyler Street rotary
- The North Street traffic lanes
- The Elm Street sidewalk bumpout
Drivers must negotiate all three obstacles. As driver’s die in horrible, flaming crashes, they are eliminated. The game continues until there is only one driver left alive. The winner then shows up at city hall, but finds that the city lied. There’s no money prize. He risked his life, and the other contestants died, for nothing.
CUZ I’M THE TAXMAN … or … THE TRIPLE WHAMMY
Pittsfield’s 1986 FY budget was all of $46,480,070. The next budget will be around $180 mill+. That’s roughly a 400% increase. Ask yourself: Is the city 400% better? 400% safer. Have services improved 400%? No. Only the taxes you pay can match that rise.
Go back even less than that, one generation to 1991. Each year since then, you have had the city raises your taxes approximately 5%. That The Triple Whammy for Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski. No, that’s not Vernon Dent slapping Moe, Larry, and Curley on a three-for-one. It’s this:
- 1st Whammy — The tax increase itself.
- 2nd Whammy — Your assessments also magically rose, and you will be paying for each of those make-believe “dollars.”
- 3rd Whammy — Like compounding interest in a bank account, 30 years (actually at least 35) consecutive years of tax hikes compound upon one another … The $1,000 you paid in 1986 taxes is now about $4,700.
How do you like them rotten apples?
——————————————————————————————
“Reality is a numerator without a denominator” – Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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As luck would have it ,Harrington was declared the winner of Ricky’s Rumpus until it was learned that she was going the wrong way through all three traffic hazards and was disqualified by Peter Arlos, the ghost of city councils past.
Dan, this is a great idea.
In future episodes of “Ricky’s Rumpus,” the drivers will also have to dodge the “houseless,” who “accidentally” step into the roadway while begging for change. The kicker, their Cumby’s begging cup is really a bomb. So, this not only eliminates a “Rumper,” but also a houseless person too. A win, win, in Pete White’s eyes.
Of course this being Pittsfield, we can’t leave anybody out. Pittsfield is truly “vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive,” so we include people of color. In particular, gang members with guns.
This can be another segment when a few of those poor “Rumpers” venture off the North Street Traffic Lanes and into the Westside. As the uneasy feeling of missing your exit sets in with our “Rumpers,” it’s quickly replaced by fear as gunfire erupts. Our “Rumpers” are soon welcomed by Pittsfield’s finest people of color, translation: gang members. This welcome includes car jackings, gunfire, and homicide.
The families of those “Rumpers” who fail to make it out, will receive a condolence letter personally signed by Wrong Way. She will also let the family know, her office’s goal is to have a collaborative working relationship between law enforcement and the court system.
This will be followed up by a personal visit to the “Rumpers” family by Helen “Handgun” Moon. Handgun will tell them the blame of their deaths was not actually by people of color. Instead, it was by evil white men police officers of Berkshire County. She will tell them tales of her near death escape from blood thirsty, shoot first/ask later, white Boston cops, NH cops, Keystone cops, and even Mel Blanc’s ACME cops.
So, who’s game?
The Rumpers also have to avoid snowplows flinging flexipole plungers in every direction, but these plungers have been dipped in the healing waters of Silver Lake, and if your car is hit by one the car and everything in it dissolves, leaving behind a puddle of toxic soup that the next contestants have to avoid as well as avoiding incoming plungers.
Only way to avoid this will be to drive your car on the sidewalk.
PON Plungers on North
PPON Plungers Plowed on North
PMON Plungers Mangled on North
Yes. As you see, RICKY’S RUMPERS will be in quite the pickle!
A better premise than many of the TV shows and movies released today…Any casting suggestions for Harrington, Moon, Tyer et al?
Hmmmm….let’s think: Helen “Handun” Moon tries like hell to fit into a “victimization role,” that she’d even lie about. That speaks confusion to me. With that, I’d go with either Chaz Bono or Caitlyn Jenner. Both very confused to who they were born also. Just like Handgun. And all are equally creepy.
Tricia Farley-Country Buffet (D)-I’d have to say old John Goodman would fit this role like a glove. The bigger John is, the better he fits this role. The role of a do nothing, give away the farm, useless pol TFCB is.
For the two Pete’s, I’d just put out a casting call to RuPauls Drag Race. I’m sure you wouldn’t know, or couldn’t tell, the difference. Especially from their inactions on the city council.
I’ll have to think about Tyer and Wrong Way, and who could play their worthless selves.
I cannot believe how much municipal taxes, fees, public debts and other liabilities have increased in Pittsfield politics over the past several decades. This has occurred while Pittsfield has lost so many of its living wage jobs and population, which means a shrinking tax base. It is the WORST of both worlds! I won’t “Blame Linda” for 35 years of failed public management in Pittsfield because it is not rational to do so. But the fact remains that Mayor Linda Tyer passed record high municipal budgets, oversees Level 5 inner city public schools, and is possibly illegally shutting out the public from her spending of tens of millions of dollars in Biden Bucks, which may violate the state’s Open Meeting Law and Ethics Laws. Godfather Jimmy Ruberto – of Naples Florida – and his Rolodex that belongs at the bottom of Silver Lake are the rock bottom political figure and symbol of Pittsfield politics sad history of failed leadership. Beacon Hill only does DISSERVICES to Pittsfield and all of the other Gateway Cities. The Swamp only fights with each other for power and money from Wall Street via K Street Lobbyist Firms. Pittsfield never had a chance in local, state and federal government given how broken and inequitable the political system has become over the past couple of decades. Everyone is out for themselves, while there are no longer leaders who care about the common good and the people the government is supposed to represent. The Elites have done fabulously well during the Covid pandemic, while the rest of us feel lucky to have survived it. I hope 2022 will not be “Business as usual” in Pittsfield politics and beyond, but I won’t be holding my breath!
“Rolodex that belongs at the bottom of Silver Lake”. Good one!
Please remove me from the list of nominees. I don’t want to be in the same league as them. Except for Merry & Bright, whom I almost always agree with, and Kinnas’ contribution of appropriately naming that tax I didn’t vote the “pick-pocket-tax” I don’t have anything good to say about any of the other nominees. Lisa Tully was useless as a city councilor. And because of her uselessness I don’t trust her in her chosen profession. This is not to say she did anything wrong in her chosen profession. But someone I care about did have a serious medical emergency while in hospital. As I stated Tully didn’t cause the medical emergency, she was just one of the people involved in addressing it. She was professional and respectful during the medical emergency. But because of her involvement. or lack of involvement as city councilor, I distrusted her, and I shouldn’t have even had to think about that. And I will never allow that rabid liar handgun moon to be near anyone I care about in a medical emergency.
On the issue of the D-umb-A-ss DA, she wrote the eulogy for an armed dangerous and violent drug trafficking convicted felon. Good thing the convicted felon is dead. Because if he was the killer instead of the corpse, nipples would let him get away with murder.
Sorry, City, but once on the list, the nominee cannot be removed.Consider it an honor, divide by two, multiply by 5%, and have a good laugh over it.
“for the average single-family home in Pittsfield the increase in value equals $18,172, and I’d suggest that that’s a decent value proposition for only $196 in new taxes.”–Linda Tyer
The more taxes you pay the more the value of your house goes up! But don’t expect your kids to be educated, crime to be punished, or even the trash to be picked up. (And ignore the fact the property values went up the same everywhere in the county, state, and country without huge tax increases).
The city councils only job is oversight of my tax dollars.I judge who people are by the questions they ask of our mayor.If they all ok everything she wants what is the point of having councilors.It is clear councilor Marchetti does not understand budgets if he does not understand 77 year olds on SS 1600 a month must pay for his bike lane,his desire to buy brewing stuff to out of towners at a cost of 150k.He also irresponsibly send Shaker Village 500k and the museum 600k….How many cocktail parties does a 77 year old need to pay for.The City Council of Pittsfield is a financial joke.Only 3 seem to care about Senior citizens. They as a group are incompetent and can’t add.We are now support a 4 apartment remodel of a firestation because some cocktail party deal.Im in shock that we are subsidizing this when the council refuses to sweep streets and paint lines in roads.The bike lane on Elm is a great example….you cant see it.Every sewar grate in Pittsfield is blocked with leaves causing flooding.We are a Great city that’s bad at math.
Another radical republican told the United States Goverment to go pound sand as Republican Mark Meadows does not want to tell about his role in the failed overthrow of America…..his kids will have to live with his choices.
ROADS ARE ALL ICE….BE CAREFUL…MANY ACCIDENTS ALREADY
Well at least Ruberto roledex won’t get an Orbit,been dead for awhile anyway.
I would like to nominate the Tax and Spend Lions for the coveted Orbit award, but they have already been killed. Must the selectee be living?
The way the former mayor and the former students of the former high school St Joe was let go into the abyss, was the crime of the century..All of these phony political and dignitaries that were alumni of the school completely ignored trying to save it.
Interesting question about dead nominees. We shall have to ask the Selection Committee at the Fortress.
The dead live in enfamy Dan. No corps.
I agree. Pete Arlos is a better councilor deceased than those we have on there currently.
Yes. Without doubt, Pittsfield GOAT councilor.
Could you have a living award winner and a posthumous award winner? Or would that water down the award?
Not a bad notion, MARK. We have considered other awards, like the Crash-and-Burn Award (CBA). This would be the other side of the Coveted Orbit Award (COA). It would be given at year’s end for the biggest loser. The Committee turned that down. But the idea of a living and a posthumous award? That one might have legs.
This whole article is right on the mark. Wait until the Kapinski’s get their 4th whammy increase in water bills. It is bad enough that taxpayers are having the issue of trying to pay for all the City’s constant increases, it is even worse that there is not a darn thing we can do about it. We have no voice in this City. Have seen many Facebook posts from taxpayers to City Councilors voicing an issue only to be told by the Councillor (especially Food Critic White), “I am just the messenger from the Mayor”, No Pete, you are the messenger for the taxpayer! In speaking to many friends and neighbors, the residents of Pittsfield feel totally hopeless that anything will change and we have to endure two more years if not more of these narcissistic public officials. Prime examples are the residents near the cell tower or all the comments against the bike lanes that have constantly voiced the objections, only to be ignored. Taxpayers have been totally plunged down the drain.
Speaking of the NON plungers, have heard but not viewed myself, seems Steve Valenti has decorated his holiday store front window with some plungers. Remember when North Street had easy parking, two lanes of traffic on both sides, PPD walking the beat so you felt safe, plus free parking at Christmas time. Your family could take a nice safe walk to view all the beautiful holiday window displays, especially England Brothers. Those days are gone forever, wonder if there is even a store left for kids to visit Santa Claus? People have worked hard all their lives and many are tired now and want to relax and enjoy life, they worked hard to create a nice home with memories but it seems that more and more folks are feeling anxiety and stress because they feel the need to sell what they have built and move on. The Mayor wants this so she can bring in her pals from all around. Worse thing is no one knows where our taxes are being spent. What a depressing City to have to pay high taxes in!
Merry for Orbit.
I also agree with what SC said above about how we should not be expecting retirees to pay for micro breweries or the ridiculous failed museums. The worst thing the GE money did was give these dumb govt cronies the idea that they know anything about wealth creation or business development.
Every venture of the mayors into giving public money to her friends has been a boon doggle. And this is true for every economic development dollar from the beginning and for every mayor. If they knew anything about wealth generation they wouldn’t be fleecing the tax payers. God help Lee as the powers that be want to corrupt that town as well.
Letter: “Pot tax revenue can help residents in other ways”
The Berkshire Eagle, December 8, 2021
To the editor: Cannabis shops are sprouting in Pittsfield like mushrooms after a heavy rain.
Dalton Avenue is the new Rodeo Drive of pot.
The real estate market is really hot, especially in southern Berkshire where tenants are being hastily evicted by owners anxious to cash in. (“Finding an apartment in Great Barrington always has been a challenge. The pandemic made it worse,” Eagle, Dec. 1).
Yet our taxes might be going up. Ward 3 councilor Nick Caccamo gave me information regarding the three buckets of Pittsfield expenditures that the local cannabis tax revenue goes into. Is there a way the cannabis tax buckets can be rearranged to help the citizens of Pittsfield with their real estate taxes so that they may remain in their homes and maintain them?
Jeanne Bresnehan, Pittsfield
Speaking of Dalton Avenue pot shops. just went to the new Big Lots store. As soon as I got out of my car I was hit with the terrible stench of pot cultivation coming from Berkshire Roots. Why do taxpayers have to endure these fumes? Have tried to contact City Hall to see what illustrious non functioning department you would report this to. As usual, my question fell into the typical City Administration game of “not my department, or I don’t know”, or better yet no one answers the phone! On the plus side, Big Lots is a very nice store, actually felt like I was no longer in Pittsfield while I was in there. Unfortunately, I had to venture back out into the stench. Even the Mayor’s mandated mask does not block out the odor. Guess her pal Andrea Nuciforo’s pot farm is more important than us taxpayers. Also, our pathetic elected officials attended the meeting last night about the generating plant on Merrill Road, a plant that runs a few times a year to help generate power, with very little fumes, but they allow the pot cultivation to flourish, basically in a residential area.
Now that you mention Nuciferos pot emporium, I am wondering how much public money, tax breaks, grants or discounts they received. No way they paid for this themselves when they have access to all the free money money can buy.
And don’t forget that Barry Tyer is also a partner at the Roots
Let’s take pot cash and subsidized realestate taxes for people over 65.They should be frozen.
Nightmare on Elm St. Whoever designed this mess should be fired.
What ever happened to the Tyler St. $500 trashcans?
Whatever happened to the dining pods i.e. mini greenhouses, supposedly purchased for outdoor covid-free dining?
Roads were not treated this morning, many accidents, while Dalton at least spread cinders.
What city could possibly top the wasteful spending of the Tyer administration, then have the gall to raise property taxes?
Dan. Since I know I won’t be in any running for an Orbit. Might I tweak the ricky rumper motto just a bit? Seeing that nothing will be able to pass on NON or will be difficult at best,and seems you’d have to be an ass to come up with this quagmire.Might we call it “……….Rickys Rumpass?
CHERCH
Not bad. Let me run this by The Committee!
And Ricky. Don’t lose that number
You have my ok
It’s in the books!
The Elm Street bulge righted a wrong. The city returned some of the front yard that had been stolen from that house. So I don’t want to hear any more bellyaching about it.
So they got a front yard but cannot get out of their driveway? Greylock credit Union may be up for sale in a year.
Disagree existing sidewalk still there.
To the owner of the bridge? Or the Native Americans who own the apartment complex? The grocery store lot was jut bought by Petey’s bank, was he involved in the decision? Not sure when the supposed theft took place, was it in the horse and buggy time? I have another thought, are they going to bump out all the roads in the city so when cars are taking left hand turns no one can drive around them on the right? The more I read and think about this the more irrational it becomes!
Some designer is making money designing these bump outs. Some company is making money putting these bump outs in. Next year some company will make money ripping out the bump outs. (Probably the same company, hired by the same mayor)
If you had a time lapse video of all the changes, change backs and clusterfuckation on North street for the last 25 years your head would spin. It is almost like it has become a money laundering scheme. Much of the city “improvements” might fall under that headline.
The G Man will be addressing these type issues on the revamping of his new show coming soon at p of crap t v.
Will someone tell me what that is on the councilor Caveies head? I kind of like it. And will someone shut the pillsbury dough boy nonsense about beer drinking venues? I drink beer at home,why you ask? keeps me off the road,is cheaper and can drink as much as I want. And I know I will survive hoodlum,bedlum, and creeps that come out of these arts and theatre junk
But can you dance half naked on a bar?? Can you hobknob with other tax and spend elitist snobs?
I wonder if the new taxpayer-subsidized brewery will have bar-top dancing. Perhaps they can hire Yuki as a “consultant.”
Don’t know who built up this Morales guy but he’s not all that. Barbarotta does all the dirty work.
As long as he does exactly as he is instructed his job is safe. NO backtalk and no sensible questions. If (and when) he makes North street a dead end on both ends he will get a pay increase and a free knapsack full of lucky charms. they are already sitting by the mayors desk in anticipation.
It’s all a bonus to our cant add numbers council.
What not to do if you are a cherished father of three:
traffick drugs from a drug house, have unlicensed firearms, engage with police, get sent to prison, get yourself shot dead. Does our criminal loving DA have any sense?
“District Attorney Andrea Harrington said Delacruz–Batista was a cherished father of three children.”
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/archives/police-met-with-armed-suspect-fortified-door-in-pittsfield-raids/article_8a3da412-f7e6-5153-9435-41fac63be5e2.html
I’m sure the only time he truly “cherished” his kids, is when he was in prison. He had no other choice. He wasn’t free to roam the streets and sell his dope. Because I’m sure when he was free, he saw his kids very little. Luckily for us. He sure wasn’t a role model for them.
Not putting on my detective hat, this whole thing looks like revenge. Maybe the “father of the year,” sung like a canary to lessen his sentence back in the day. People have long memories, plus family and friends.
As Merry/Bright stated in an earlier post, this sure isn’t the yesteryear of Pittsfield. Hanging out on North Street was fun…..and safe.
I would like to add my vote for Merry and Bright for OOY too. Great posts to read and sticks with the topic.
Are there any leads in this murder? Any clues or suspects? Has the mayor and DA already moved on to hunting down people who may be a danger to hay bales?
Harrington’s too busy letting phone scammers from India who bilked vulnerable people out of their life’s savings off so they can do it again.
Well, FIZZ, you gotta admit that since the crackdown for Hay-Bale Safety (HBS), no hay bales have been damaged. We can’t say the same about murders, killings, death, stabbings, shootings, beatings, mugging, break-ins, and the rest of it in the safe, “vibrant, and dynamic” city of Pitts.
Are you insinuating that Durfee shouldn’t have gotten a year in jail for engaging in political violence?
If you read his recent history he needed help psychiatrically, so if jail is the place for that than not a bad course of action but hospitalization would have been my more humane suggestion which would have been more rehabilitating.
A valid point. Perhaps if there were more hay bales on North street there would be less muggings. (the ones you never read about) In fact why not put some hay bales in the halls of Taconic HS?
And when is the mayor going to put bike lanes in the halls of the schools? Seems like a logical next move in Pittsfield.
FIZZ
We are working it out. Hay bales should be placed in the middle of all the traffic lanes on North Street and on all of the sidewalks. That will deter crime.
Wonder if his business if he had one received Covid bucks. And why didn’t spotter pick up any shots? Not working? Out of range. Maybe will find out as usual ten months from now.
Craft Beer Heah,craft beer. How much ? Eight dollars sir. No brainer.
They considered seven dollars a mug but the mayor only gave them $140,000 of other peoples hard earned money so they were afraid the business would fail and bumped to $8. By the way, did anyone ever see the business plan? Do they even have one?
WILLOW
Great questions. Why does an alleged capitalistic enterprise need government dollars and subsidies? Answer: As a hedge against failure. The owners are afraid they will lose money, so why not lose money that isn’t theirs? It’s all screwed up. For $8, you can get a six-pack of Narragansett and get a buck something back in change. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a delicious “cheap” beer. The German company that bought out the old brewery is making a delicious, so-called “ordinary” brew. Another one is Pabst. If THE PLANET goes to this new brewery, we expect to be comped.
And if they had a business plan, and it was showed to the city council who approved it, would any of them have the smallest clue as to what it represented? More importantly, would any of them give a shit once they were told by the mayor to just go ahead and approve it?
The safe answer is NO. No they would not.
Well it is probably safe to say that the mayor will be getting comped. And comped and comped and comped. Which is probably why she gave them all those other peoples money. And what does it say about people like that that would swoop in and take advantage of hard working people just because some elitist politician made it possible..?
EEEwwww! No special beer for me thank you…I will get mine from people who worked hard to make their business successful.
That’s an 8 dollar mugging sudsidized (pun intended) by your tax dollars.
Covid is everywhere in the Bershires,shut schools down until Jan 15…..Bars spreading Covid.
You are aware a virus weakens as it spreads TSC? If it didn’t, the virus would wipe out its host and ultimately itself. That’s not what it does. Viruses have been around longer than humans.
Herd immunity will ultimately weaken it to something similar to the typical flu-bug.
The health directors in South African have already said this new variant is not bad as others are making it out to be.
If you’re unhealthy and choose not to vaccinate yourself, I have zero sympathy. But I’m sick of playing ball for others who have no regards in relation to my choice. You want to wear a mask cool. I don’t.
American covid deaths almost doubled last week from the week before. People killed their own family members by having large Thanksgiving get together s. Make sure your will is in order because there was almost 500 new cases in Berkshire county in the last 7 days. It is out there and lots of deniers are dying, even some smug religious types, which makes me chuckle out loud.
The truth is hard sometimes. I know. But one can pretend for just so long before reality bites one in the ass hard. You will see.
Do you have the right to speak in the face of others?
Shut yourself down. Don’t tell other people what to do. News flash , there will be another variant, in a few months. They have them lined up like hurricanes, names already picked out. Media loves there fear porn. Live and let live.
I vote for Merry & Bright too, on one condition – stop complaining about the smell of marijuana. Some people happen to love the smell of the sweet maryjane. And aside, it is a proven and effective natural Medicine that helps counts people with countless ailments get relief. Please, stop.
Auto Phil, I am not against marijuana especially when it helps very ill people. I am though against the fact that since this cultivation building was constructed in my neighborhood without any communication from the City Administration, and the owners of this building have lied to us and also constantly neglect to clean/replace the filters on their building. This issue is only going to increase in the neighborhood with the new building on it way. I complain because myself and my neighbors should have the RIGHT to FRESH AIR when we step outside of our newly assessed highly taxed homes. I am sure you might complain if your home was in this neighborhood.
Only the 4 political families who run Pittsfield politics have a voice with the Lovely Linda. The rest of us get to smell dead skunk-like pot odors and political corruption from Pittsfield City Hall to the Lovely Linda’s gated community full of millionaires who think that their shit doesn’t stink.
Skunk pot is horrific especially. That’s the strongest pot and there is a lot of it in Pittsfield. You just want to bathe in tomato juice for hours after being exposed to it. Perhaps the person who tried to run me off the road yesterday in broad daylight was on skunk pot. I saw a similar incident in Allendale yesterday in late afternoon where somebody in a pickup truck tried to run somebody off of the road. Is it the same person? Or are different people in pick-up trucks trying to run people off the road here in Pittsfield?
Pat, welcome to my neighborhood. It’s like this all day and night. This is why the neighborhood signed a petition for more PPD traffic control. Well, guess what the petition got us. Morales has been told to create some new traffic slowing ideas. Most of us wish we had never signed the petition, myself included. Petition just got us in a pending worse mess. Morales spoke of narrowing the lanes, most likely with bike lanes. Also, many of these drivers are from New York going to Skunky Roots. Can’t help but wonder if PPD has been told to leave the New York drivers alone, because by giving them a citation it will cut their money for pot, thus cutting the Mayor’s tax money. The tax money we have yet to hear the amount taken in.
Is part of that State road? Like from Plastics to Coltsville? Maybe saner heads will prevail but this Morales guy is getting scary. I am afraid he may put some plungers up the middle of my driveway and then have the city plows mow them down. The word dyslexic comes to mind.
Sadly, it’s been shown in other cities that we will soon find low income neighborhoods have all of the marijuana grows and shops. The nimbys hold too much power over their communities so you won’t see them in Lenox but right on the Pittsfield line is fine. This is another predatory industry that makes most of their money off heavy users and addicts. The closest store you hit in any direction will be marijiana and liquor.
It is sad but if they were making noise pollution, smoke pollution or light pollution you have a case but smell you are out of luck. What really stinks is when you and your neighbors bought your house you were under the guise that the zoning laws would protect you and your assets. How can you trust your city and the government run by Democrats to have your rights in their mind when they are deciding things? Forget about following the law!
Down near Boston where they make Jello you would have reason to complain. They melt down animal guts to make the Jello and it stinks to high heaven.
Oh yeah it is true.
I nominate Fritz for the obit award. His posts are always logical.
So be it. Fritz is on the list.
I honored to be nominated for the Orbit with Mr. Fritz.
No. You’ve been redirected to be orbited,has nothing to do with an award.
Dan, I nominated Pat TWICE in the last few days, for the Orbit – and Pat is still NOT on your list of nominees. What gives?
I’m for Pat also. And all of the aliases on here.So I’m nominating all aliases if that’s possible Dan? Call it Orbit Coveted Covid Awards. After all,we’ve all been compromised this year.
Pat is the Buffalo Bills of the Planet. Wide and Right.
Gotta admit that’s funny!
Cuz she sux most of the time.City I Hate. Merry and Bright and Terry Kinnas.Three for one Pabdemic Rules.City.She’ll even hate the Award.
Fritz links to garbage like zerohedge.
you link to garbage like cnn and msdnc.
Is this the same parent of the year that raised a pack of some of the worst drug dealers and gang members in the area? One was murdered by a gangbanger, one currently incarcerated and another is facing murder charges in Springfield. All she seems to care about is that the drug task force took her car. Boo effing hoo lady. If you are that mother, what have you done for your drug dealer sons victims or the communities they ruined? Another great poster child for reform.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/crime/civil-asset-forfeiture-malinda-harris-berkshire-county-congress/article_cc6d7430-5871-11ec-b47d-f32fe919eb8b.html
So, I ask myself, is life really any different/better today than it was in the good ole days. Is political corruption different than in the days of Tammany Hall? Is today’s police corruption different than in the days of Satan’s Circus? Has the KKK traded in their white robes for police uniforms? Instead of Strange Fruit hanging from the trees, KKKops now use the more humane chokeholds/strangleholds to asphyxiate white citizens, but its still shooting season for the armed and unarmed negro. That, of course, is if you make out of childhood alive, because Child Protection is rooted in Baby Farming. All we can do is hope for the best, and prepare the worst. And as I was reminded this early cold morning whilst standing on my back deck drinking a hot cup of tea, “O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” – Percy Bysshe Shelley
Vaccine mandates on private business shot down by Senate.
Will this be reported on mainstream news? Probably not!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/12/08/senate-votes-yes-to-repeal-bidens-federal-vaccine-mandate/
Question of the day, who has less gray matter between their ears? Larry Parnass? Andrea Harrington? Or the members of the congressional subcommittee who bought hook, line and sinker the “woe is me” tale of the mother of multiple gang members/drug dealers? I’m no journalist or legal expert but I had to wonder right off how it was that someone who lives in a shelter owns a luxury car like an Infinit. Gee, maybe it belonged to one of the drug dealer sons who registered it in her name in order to evade these same forfeiture laws? How empty headed do you need to be not to think of or even question this?
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/crime/civil-asset-forfeiture-malinda-harris-berkshire-county-congress/article_cc6d7430-5871-11ec-b47d-f32fe919eb8b.html
This article was terrible. It attempted to make the Berkshire Drug Task Force look bad and racist cops, that Wrong Way claims they are.
If Larry had a little journalistic integrity, he should have framed this article better. Here Larry, I’ll bullet point a few key items you either ignored or buried:
(1) When Trevice Harris was pulled over on 3/4/15, what was the amount of drugs he had on him?
(2) Were the police watching him prior to this?
(3) Had Trevice made hand to hand drug sales with police and/or informants?
(4) He had over $56,000 in cash on him that night, why was his mother Malinda Harris living in a homeless shelter?
(5) She was not driving the car, Trevice was. He would have gotten all the paperwork (warrant, seizure, etc) during the booking procedure. Wrong Way should know this. This is why Malinda wasn’t given the “warrant.” Very disingenuous by Wrong Way to not explain this.
(6) Trevice absconded from court for years. All criminal and civil court proceedings are halted until he’s back in custody. Again, very disingenuous by Wrong Way. She knows this is how the legal system works. It was nothing against Malinda.
(7) How was Trevice murdered? A gang shooting? A drug deal gone wrong?
(8) And I agree with Legal, how does a “houseless” person own a luxury sedan?
Enough of trying to frame the cops as “systemically biased” against people of color.
Hey Larry, how about asking Wrong Way for her thoughts on why cities with Progressive DA’s, have or are on pace, to shatter the annual homicide record for that locale? Could it be their shi++y polices and coddling criminals and not the “racially biased” police?
best post I have seen on this blog all year
The media never let the facts get in the way of there spin. Time to lay them off. Don’t support the media.
Thanks for the details, MA. It is a very misleading piece that is frankly harmful to the community. I looked up the statute. By law, nothing can be taken without proof or a proper hearing. By law, the proceeds must be used to pay for investigations and up to 10% must be used for community projects like drug education. Ayanna Pressley’s claim that they’re used to “dole out bonuses” is an outrageous lie. Ocasio-Cortez then asks this fabricator if her car was taken without a shred of evidence and she said yes. Isn’t lying to congress a federal crime?
Slant and Spin journalism in Pittsfield. This is why no one trust local media or the local government. And I use the term government loosely. This kind of obvious coverup does not help racial issues but rather makes them worse.
Media could use this thing called Google where you can look things up and find out how Malinda Harris has been used all year by the libertarian Goldwater Institute to advance their agenda. Goldwater is a well known lobbyist funded by the Koch brothers. When you have the money they have you don’t need any goverment to protect you from people like drug dealers. Shame we don’t have any local media to sniff this out.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/03/10/civil-asset-forfeiture-laws-justice-crimes-column/4633965001/
How embarASSing for the Berkshire Eagle. They got Parn-ASSED.
Harrington has no use for this woman or a car, it’s all about her getting coverage on the front page. If she spent as much time in a courtroom or doing actual legal work her office might win a case. She is supposed to be the Chief Law Enforcement Officer, instead she acts like a legislator. She ran for Adam Hinds seat years ago and lost. However, that seems to be the position she has taken on, not that of the DA. The DA is there to enforce the laws, not change the laws. DA Harrington, please do your job. You know, the one you were elected to do.
Gosh we haven’t seen a victim so horrifically ensnared by the draconian legal system since Kyle Sawin.
“As a citizen, I know the government should not act in that way,” she said in her prepared testimony. “We should be able to trust the police and count on them to keep us safe. … How do you teach your children to respect the law, when the people who are sworn to uphold it can take your property on nothing more than naked suspicion?”
Report, can you provide specific case numbers in Berkshire County, when a persons property was seized on “nothing more than naked suspicion” whatever that is?
I don’t want to see a case cited from the 1960’s Mississippi either.
Please provide a recent (30 years is fine) when a Berkshire County police department seized anybody’s property without legal paperwork?
I’ll expect it around the same time Helen “Handgun” Moon provides the Planet a copy of her arrest report.
You’ll be receiving it with a fat sidedish of the names of people treated unfairly by police and the courts based on race.
Does illegal arrest fit your bill?
For the most part I agree with all of your posts. But I completely disagree with you when it comes to the illegal seizure/theft of personal property by corrupt cops. Cops have illegally seized exculpatory evidence, and they did it without a warrant. Illegal search and seizure. But you can believe whatever you want. It doesn’t change the truth. The evidence was illegally taken, I call it theft, by the cops because it contradicts the LIARS and their LIES.
And in less than the past 30 years, Cops have even illegally seized/kidnapped the most innocent, WITHOUT ANY PAPERWORK, and then the innocent was sentenced to a family with a convicted child rapist, in their family, who was arrested, in the same year, on multiple rape charges of a minor child which involved oral and anal rape of the child with force. But believe what you want. It doesn’t change the ugly outrageous truth of it all. Good thing paperwork does exist on the convicted child rapist. Otherwise all liars would lie about it, and deny it ever happened. And, NO, I’m not providing copies, but you can get your own. Because they do exist.
Dennis Buckley? Where’s he now?
Where’s his clients records too
This is in the news again wonder why
Hello blogger Dan Valenti, Please interview the people who live in the neighborhood(s) behind former Pittsfield State Senator Andrea Francesco Nuciforo Junior’s marijuana business named “Berkshire Roots” and ask them about Mayor Linda Tyer’s inactions about the dead skunk-like odor they have to live in for Nuciforo to make his millions of dollars per year in pot profits. Please ask them about the 4 families who run Pittsfield politics, and if it wasn’t Nuciforo, whose late-Mother was a Wojtkowski and whose late-Aunt was Anne Everest Wojtkowski who was the first woman Mayor of Pittsfield, would that person be able to get away with lowering the quality of life and right to fresh smelling air for an entire neighborhood(s) of taxpaying homeowners. You, blogger Dan Valenti, always write about how Pittsfield politics is always screwing over the proverbial Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski family year in and year out, so I believe what Nuciforo is doing to the neighborhood(s) behind his Dalton Avenue pot business is Exhibit A, while Mayor Linda Tyer sits back and does nothing about it. I understand that I (and my dad) have a very negative history with “Luciforo”, but this time it is NOT about that, but rather, it is about the proverbial Kapanski family having to smell Nuciforo’s dead skunk-like pot odors while he rakes in millions of dollars per year, while Mayor Linda Tyer is allowing it all to happen. Best wishes, Jonathan Melle
I have an aquaitance who will being doing a show pretty soon and has requested several feelers concerning his own awards he’ll be giving to the lucky recipients. Not lie the Orbit but what the hey? Here are some sceneriors if one were chosen.
Stone Look Award- Handgun Moon
Getting out of Dodge Award- Nicky Cack
Do as your told Award -Gina Armstrong’s -Deanna Ruffles
No Brainer Award-Houseless Pete
The Plunger Award-Ricky Rumpus
The G Shellacking Award – Any Previous D P W Commisioner
The Been Everywhere Award- Stooge
The Rolodex Award -Squiggy
The Conflict of Interest Award- Dina do Nothing
The Covid Windfall Award- This is pending due to the contingencies that have erupted at the Water Sewer Plant. These are a few there are many many more ideas,please keep them coming.
By the way, these Awards come with a gift! An all expenses paid tour of our Water Plants so you can see where your tax dollars and arpa unds are being thrown away on. Merry Christmas Everyone and good luck on the Orbit.
Agree though with an earlier idea. Dan should get the Orbit. Tried and True threw a nasty pandemic. Good job Dan!!! Why you ask? He kept us informed but more importantly entertained us when there was little to do.
CALLA
We deeply appreciate those kind words. Heartfelt thanks.
If the neighbors aren’t complaining, why are you? I know you can’t smell any of Berkshire County from New Hampshire.
If the Nuciforo’s were not involved you wouldn’t be complaining.
After I was framed with falsified breathalyzer report which was 4.5 hours post false arrest, court withheld my bail money $200. Incarcerated I had not a dime. No coffee for the naggers.
Charm of a Rattlesnake Award….fritz….bleak house
Mr Fritz for the Orbit! Very sensible and down to earth.
Now that’s funny!
The speeding on Elm St. Is bad between Holmes Rd. and Williams St. How does setting up a bottleneck 200 yards from a traffic light help? Ricky, you got some splainin’ to do.
Ricky put on a few pounds. Sign of laziness or failing your assignments
I think I heard the reason for it. Over the summer some guy was putting flower pots on the bridge and parked his car in the road while doing his project. I am sure he was scared with how cars come around the corner. Not sure how much power this older gentleman had but you can see the cut out at the bridge where he can park and tend his flowers. Not sure why he couldn’t park in Petey’s parking lot. Only thing that makes any kind of sense, but again what really makes sense in this place.