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THE WAHCONAH PARK CON: LATEST BITCHFIELD HOODWINK IN THE WORKS

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BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 25, 2024) — Some 30 years ago, media critic Edward Herman and linguist Noam Chomsky coined the term “manufacturing consent.” It referred to the media’s ability to influence and impose “group think” (from Orwell’s 1984) on a lazy, unsuspecting, and increasingly dullard American public.

“Manufacturing consent” works on a mostly young, illiterate, and/or disinterested, the kind that wouldn’t know Leonardo DaVinci from Leo DeCaprio or Leo Durocher.

Herman and Chomsky sounded their warning on the brink of the revolution in personal computing, cell phones, and information change caused by the internet. People approaching the unfathomable vapidity of Celebrity Worship and Sports Deification paid no heed.

Here’s how “manufacturing consent” works. The mass media produce information under the guise of “news” at alarming rates with constant frequency on dubious stories. It induces among populationsself-censorship (think of the effect of “woke” on language and free speech), obedience (following the accepted line), and “buy-in” (believing what you read, hear, and see–without critical thinking. How else could America allow the prosecution and persecution of the leading presidential candidate of a major political party with the intent of denying him the ballot?

Let’s zoom closer to case.

Case in point, Wahconah Park and the local mainstream media’s (lower case) continual repetition of The Company Line.

———- ooo ———-

What’s the scam?

You know there is one behind the sudden push taken up with religious zest by the current mayor as an urgent priority ahead of the deterioration of public safety; the rise in crime; the increase in “houselessness”; the unchecked, unvetted influx illegal aliens; drug trafficking rum amok; deterioration of roads; out-of-control city spending and taxes; a concomitant decline in services; and so much more.

Who’s making out? You know someone will be if this ill-advised waste of $40 million wins approval. Who’s to stop it?

Nobody. That’s who.

Of course, when it comes to the fate of Wahconah Park, those with the institutional memory will harken back to the dark days of the proposed Civic Authority (CA) legislation and the back-door attempt to stage a municipal coup using a new ballpark as a Trojan Horse. THE PLANET broke the story on “The Dan Valenti Show” (WBRK) after the city council, in secret and on a weekend, submitted a home-rule petition to Boston seeking permission to set up the CA “advisory board.” It had unchecked power and would not be elected by citizens but appointed by then mayor-Gerry Doyle, king of the city’s barroom politics.

Wahconah Park in its prime. Packed stands for a Double A Eastern League game, 1968, between the Red Sox and Indians. (Photo by Dan Valenti)

What could possibly go wrong?

THE PLANET‘s coverage on radio and in the columns of The Boring Broadsheet resulted in a citizen uprising the likes of which we haven’t seen since. Brave citizens forced a vote and defeated the CA measure. It ended citizen activism. It also became a teaching moment for The Suits, who to their credit and the eternal discredit of the once-beautiful city of Pittsfield, learned from their blunder.

Never again would they allow this to happen.

Fast forward to today, when The Suits control elections to assure only “safe” stooges occupy the office of mayor and a majority of the city council.

———- ooo ———-

A push came out of left field that the old ball yard was dilapidated, falling apart, about to collapse, infested with termites, built with pure PCBs, and as radioactive as Chernobyl.

Right.

The time to act was on Wahconah Park came in 1990, when we still had major-league affiliated baseball. Bitchfield had another (and final) chance in the 2000s with the Bouton Group. Each time, politics said no. Since then, the brand of baseball went from decent (professional, independent league ball) to the Grade Z offerings of a bottom-scraping college league that fielded the Pittsfield Suns.

Game action, early in the 1968 season. Red Sox pitcher Paul Dowd throws to an Indian batter. First baseman Jim Russin awaits. That ’68 Boston affiliate saw 12 Pittsfield players make the major league. The team went 84-55. Pitchers threw an incredible 45 complete game, 25 of the shutouts led, by Dick Baney’s (14-6) 12 and 5 (Photo by Dan Valenti).

Baseball Suns-style turned out to be a cross between the Gillette carnival, McDonald’s Playland, Chuck E. Cheese, mind-sapping distraction, and ear-splitting noise. The stands were covered with netting to protect dumbass “fans” from foul balls, sight lines be damned. The Suns drew two types of clientele: Brow-beaten parents who needed a place to park their snot-eaters for three hours, unattended, and drunks who could crowd the beer tent. No one with any interest in pure baseball bothered. As a consequence, the Suns drew about as good as your typical city council meeting.

Mercifully, we won’t have Suns ball at Wahconah this year, meaning that the mayor will have to find other places this summer where his ample public imbibing will be overlooked.

———- ooo ———-

No detailed explanation has been offered by the city as to why Wahconah Park must be rebuilt for $40 million. Are the pilings unsafe? Is the grandstand nearing sawdust? An admittedly informal but close look, taken recently by a personal inspection, shows them to be as sturdy as ever. And what if the $40 million is blown? What then? Will the city guarantee the return of professional, affiliated baseball? What are the plans for use of the park after the dazzling con job?

As usual, scared city officials–including Mayor Maypo and Crime Dog McGrath, Bitchfield’s apparatchik with the idiotic title of Park, Open Space, and Natural resource Program Manager–haven’t answered these and 1,001 other questions.

Vintage cars fill the Wahconah Park parking lot. (Photo by Dan Valenti)

When the state Historical Commission questioned the plans of the city’s “restoration committee” and therefore the need for an unduly expensive uplift, Mayo and McGrath hired Episilon Associates (cost unknown) to draft a letter assuring the state that the city’s plans were spectacular, brilliant, sensational, and absolutely essential for the health and well-being of taxpayers, to say nothing of saving the whales and preventing “climate change.”

It’ true that in Bitchfield, “play ball” has nothing to do with the Grand Old Game. It’s about rolling over and playing dead for The Suits.

———————————————————–

Wahconah Park is the baseball what sharks are to a man in a rubber raft” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

Copyright (c) 2024 By Dan Valenti, PLANET VALENTI and EUROPOLIS MANAGEMENT. All rights reserved. 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. Those who leave comments own all the responsibilities that are or can be attached to those comments, be they rhetorical, semantic, or legal. Such commentators remain solely responsible for what they post and shall be and remain solely accountable for their words. 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, but not limited to, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. We serve as a marketplace of ideas, without prejudice and available to all. All users of this site — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else — hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice and their use of/participation in this site. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.

 

 

 

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Jonathan A. Melle
Jonathan A. Melle
7 months ago

“Play ball” in Pittsfield politics means that the “90 day grace period” Mayor Pete and re-Pete who leads the rubber stamp City Council, along with the Level 5 “Scohol” Committee, answers to the special interests instead of the common people and taxpayers who live in “Bitchfield”.

I predict that Mayor Peter Marchetti will soon propose his first municipal fiscal year 2025 operating budget with a predictable Pittsfield politics spending increase of between 5 to 10 percent. I predict that Mayor Peter Marchetti will propose his first fiscal year 2025 municipal capital budget that will be between well over $10 million to possibly $25 million. In net dollars, it is a sum total of somewhere between $11 million to possibly as high as $54 million in increased operating plus capital spending that will begin on July 1st, 2024. These forecasted fiscal numbers do not factor in the use of “FREE CASH”.

While the Mayor is at it, why not throw in tens of millions of additional public dollars for the Wahconah Park project? Answer: The taxpayers are his ATM.

The fictional Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski working-class family who lives in Pittsfield (Mass.) are dealing with very high inflation, their own constrained personal finances, the city’s secretive financial shell games and slush funds, the glut of social services agencies that provide assistance to the city’s huge underclass population that pay little to no taxes other than purchasing predatory products such as lottery tickets, pot, tobacco, nip bottles, etc.. To be clear, there is nobody in government who is representing the common people and taxpayers, especially when it comes to Pittsfield politics!

Jon Melle

Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
7 months ago

Anyone on here speak Vodka ? Maybe they could translate the reasons those in charge along with the media will give the taxpayers on why this $40 million project is a winning idea for Bitchfield while taxpayers are struggling to keep the lights on? I also don’t want to hear about how any parts of government is going to help with the tab and it isn’t going to cost taxpayers as much. Any and all money originates from the
taxpayers.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Optimus Prime
7 months ago

“Any and all money originates from the
taxpayers.”

“Grants” too.

Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

When grant dollars are given out,I always refer to them as “Taxpayers Grant Money “. As I stated, any and all money is originated from the taxpayer’s.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Optimus Prime
7 months ago

Yeah. Like, “Taxpayer ‘I paid for that grant?!’ Money”

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Cleaned out with not a penny to spare. Just the shoes and shirt on their backs.

Gobsig
Gobsig
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Do Woolworth’s and Newberry’s get a tomb?

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Gobsig
7 months ago

Mass grave for them.

This Just In
This Just In
7 months ago

All is not lost. There will be baseball at the old ball yard. The Pittsfield Potholes manager Rocket Rickey Morales assured us a full schedule. But with a few changes.

– [ ] Replace 1st and 3rd base coaches with sign holding panhandlers.

Base runners , who are rounding the basses have to avoid poop from the homeless who camp in foul territory. Step in a homeless pie and you’re out.

During the 7th inning stretch Pete White will sponsor a wiener mastication contest.

Take me out to the ballgame will be replaced with take me out to the bike lane, sung by Nick Russo.

Wagering will be allowed regarding which inning Jim Conant falls asleep, (specify top or bottom of the inning and before or after each out)

Dina will announce the games on WTBR and will explain how climate change makes fly balls go longer or shorter.

Pancho’s will get the beer concession and sponsor melee’s (not Jonathan) at the bottom of the 7th, 8th and 9th.

Mama Cass Costa, will sing “Go Where You Wanna Go” to honor the housless camped along the foul lines and behind the outfield wall. Followed by a rendition of “Narcanada My One And Native Land”

So you can see all is not lost.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is joy in Marchettiville—mighty Maypo has not struck out.

Markus Aurelius
Markus Aurelius
Reply to  This Just In
7 months ago

Nice job.

I would also like to add that Dirty Barry Clairmont could provide A+ level of parking lot security work, if needed? He single handedly cleaned up the Cumby’s parking lot on First Street.

As an added bonus, Dirty Barry could even compete against Porkchop Pete in the 7th inning wiener eating contest.

And let’s not forget about Kufflinks Kerwood. Someone needs to “guard” the money when Jim falls asleep. Kufflinks will personally safeguard the money, so not $.25 or $50,000 dollars slips through the cracks.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

Security work: It’ll be safe everyday so long as somewhere else is not safe.

Last edited 7 months ago by Charles Kronick
ShirleyKnutz
ShirleyKnutz
Reply to  This Just In
7 months ago

This gave me a great laugh, thanks for that. I would add that at 2nd base Ricky’s Rumpass maze would have a roundabout at 2nd base with some speed bumps to slow things down!! With the whole council in the beer tent dancing on the bar with Yuki!

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

yeah!

Base calming stumbletraps

Last edited 7 months ago by Charles Kronick
ITS A Mirage
ITS A Mirage
7 months ago

Germaine to the story is that any time the crowd numbers exceeded 25 it was usually because some “altruistic” local business bought x amount of tickets at a discounted price and gave them away free to the boys club, or girls club or a local camp.
And if you were in the stands trying to watch the actual baseball game you could tell who these “fans” were because they had zero interest in the game itself. They were running around up an down the bleachers playing tag or grab ass and oblivious to the game itself.

These days the taxpayers have to pay for fireworks several times a year just to get the mirage of fans in the seats. Or give something away to the first 500 lucky “fans”.
Speaking of manufactured. If Pittsfield invented baseball, it also invented the fan base. Patent pending I believe.

Eric Swansin
Eric Swansin
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Pittsfield even has a high school state champion pocket pool player in Jonathan Melle. He told us cutting the bottoms off of your front pants pockets allowed for maximum pocket practice.

Milt Plum
Milt Plum
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Baseball was invented by Abner Arlos in 1789 just one year after Abner White invented pocket pool in what we now call Park Square. This was well before the Three Stooges graced the Colonial stage. Abner White is said to have eaten the first wiener in Pittsfield but sadly there were no smart phones then so we don’t have a pho graphic image of the incident. Ernie Double day sold many of those first wieners from his horse drawn cart. Sadly though wieners were banned within 500 feet of churches as folks chucked them through many a church window. No joke. True story.

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
7 months ago

manufacturing consent”, sounds like Trump!!!

Markus Aurelius
Markus Aurelius
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Your story seemed to strike a nerve with Dirty Barry Clairmont, errr….I mean Mr. Worldwide.

Gee, I wonder why?

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

It is not BC. It’s really someone quite dull.

Markus Aurelius
Markus Aurelius
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

Thanks-Sir Chaz.

The Bitchfield “leaders”
all post under numerous aliases on here, hard to keep track.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

I don’t understand why he doesn’t use his real name. No one likes him – not like he has a reputation to protect.

Gobsig
Gobsig
Reply to  Mr. Worldwide
7 months ago

Durwood! How’s it going?

Mississippi Jack Crock
Mississippi Jack Crock
Reply to  Gobsig
7 months ago

Is that what he goes by in your parts? On my Island goes by Dooshwin. I suggested he clean it up and make it Dutch. Van Doosher.

Last edited 7 months ago by Mississippi Jack Crock
ShirleyKnutz
ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

This smells like the Civic Authority all over again. This group has not said why we need to raze and rebuild Wahconah Park. They seem to continue to live when Pittsfield and Berkshire County was booming with manufacturing jobs and other businesses. They should look around and see that population has moved on with the jobs and the only people in Pittsfield are the bums and people taking care of the bums. This group can not afford to attend events at Wahconah Park nor do they really care. Back in the day the collegian team played at places like Clapp or Pinegrove in Dalton. Pittsfield still have these fields so I say let them play there. On a side not I remember when the Pittsfield Schools would not let the kids read Jim Bouton’s book on the politics of the Pitts, it was a great view on the stink and the kids who read it left town!

snark shark
snark shark
Reply to  ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

Excellent book. I have a signed copy.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

Foul Ball?

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

It is a terrible shame I did not know of this book before I walked into that rats’ nest.

Amazon ‘s synopsis Foul Ball

“Host to organized baseball since 1892, Pittsfield, Massachusetts’s Wahconah Park was soon to be abandoned by the owner of the Pittsfield Mets, who would move his team to a new stadium in another town—an all too familiar story. Enter former Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton and his partner with the best deal ever offered to a community: a locally owned professional baseball team and a privately restored city-owned ballpark at no cost to the taxpayers.

The only people who didn’t like Bouton’s plan were the mayor, the mayor’s hand-picked Parks Commissioners, a majority of the City Council, the only daily newspaper, the city’s largest bank, its most powerful law firm, and a guy from General Electric. Everyone else—or approximately 98% of the citizens of Pittsfield—loved it. But the “good old boys” hated Bouton’s plan because it would put a stake in the heart of a proposed $18.5 million baseball stadium—a new stadium that the citizens of Pittsfield had voted against three different times. In this riveting account, Bouton unmasks a mayor who brags that “the fix is in,” a newspaper that lies to its readers, and a government that operates out of a bar.

But maybe the most incredible story is what happened after Foul Ball was published—a story in itself. Invited back by a new mayor, Bouton and his partner raise $1.2 million, help discover a document dating Pittsfield’s baseball origins to 1791, and stage a vintage game that’s broadcast live by ESPN-TV.

Who could have guessed what would happen next? And that this time it would involve the Massachusetts Attorney General?”

Last edited 7 months ago by Charles Kronick
Gobsig
Gobsig
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

Where was Alisaboycottsa back then?

snark shark
snark shark
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

The local library used to have this book but I heard the special interests banned it. But you can buy it on Ebay and it is a really great read. If you want to really know how Pittsfield works you need to read this book FOUL BALL by JIM BOUTON. Nothing has changed for the better since. It has actually substantially degraded since the book came out. If that is even possible.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  snark shark
7 months ago

Snark: “Manuscripts do not burn.” -M. Bulgakov

Someone(s) thumbs downdied my post. Must have resented that I did not provide the link.

https://www.alibris.com/Foul-Ball-Jim-Bouton/book/7748393?matches=46

Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
7 months ago

Come on Dan. Marchetti has not been pushing Wahconah Park as priority. He has also stood steadfast in regards to what financial impact he would support. Don’t fabricate something that isn’t there.
It’s obvious you don’t like Marchetti but don’t make it so obvious.

Last edited 7 months ago by Flogging Molly
The downtown umbrella guy
The downtown umbrella guy
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Dan shows his love with constant comments about Pete’s weight and sex orientation.

Gobsig
Gobsig
Reply to  The downtown umbrella guy
7 months ago

Spaghetti Matchetti brought up his sexual orientation. So now it’s fair game.

Will He
Will He
Reply to  Flogging Molly
7 months ago

Yeah but he certainly won’t do anything to stop it.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
7 months ago

The state historical commission directs the city to reframe the proposal from rebuild to repair.

The loss of pro baseball that you describe could be symptomatic of something else. Wonder what.

The school committee
The school committee
7 months ago

When we didn’t build a great park in the downtown ,this is what the anti stadium people hoped would happen.The worst idea in the worst location.The anti stadium downtown was a a anti Doyle vote led by you Dan.There is no good reason to destroy history for a workout room for 25 out of town college kids.Cape Cod has yet to build a stadium for the blue chip league.Fix the grandstand with the 4 million.Movie star Bill Murry and Dave Veeck will have to deal with it.Pittsfield like Trump is broke.

Rule 5
Rule 5
Reply to  The school committee
7 months ago

Me speak good 3nglush

ShirleyKnutz
ShirleyKnutz
Reply to  Rule 5
7 months ago

Give TSC a break he is not use to writing anything but TDS statements. I thought it was good to see him write about something else.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  ShirleyKnutz
7 months ago

I wrote earlier that it is a disease. A virus highly contagious. The disease process is progressive. Symptoms is the forced reference to ‘trump’ that end every attempt at verbal and written communication. Such as, “State of Pittsfield economics is very bad and now they want to embezzle 40 million
of tax payer money trump is now broke”

It’s contagious – keep distance, wash hands hospital style, cleanse eyes with William Thakeray. If you feel symptoms, up dose and read Federalist Papers and the Constitution of the Commonwealth.

The school committee
The school committee
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

Trump is a criminal and he want your vote and you will give it to him.

Pat
Pat
7 months ago

A dullard American public describes exactly what is happening in this country especially in blue states. There is no sense of curiosity and there is a total acceptance of anything the current administration tells them. At a time when so much bad is happening in this country we see a dulling of the ability of Americans to think clearly. They see Donald Trump being prosecuted by a woman who vowed years ago to “get him” when there was no crime at the time and there still isn’t. This is about perverting our justice system to take down someone that the globalists don’t like using George Soros prosecutors.

Biden wants to take freedom away from Americans by telling us what we can drive, if we can drive, how far we an drive, where we can live, getting rid of single family homes so that Americans are piled on top of each other in giant housing units. Big global government making all of our decisions for us in the future and most Americans are so accepting of this lack of freedom that the globalists have planned for us as Biden has the nerve to call Republicans a threat to our democracy and is never called out for his lies.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Pat
7 months ago

Why would be inclined to believe the tale that Americans are oblivious. You read that 99.999% Russians voted for Putin, but you probably suspect that the actual votes are far less. Applies here too. The consensus is false. That’s the ,political media sweetly singing in your ear. People are mad, and they know what is happening.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

Good. If that’s true then I’m happy to hear it. It gives me hope for the future of this country because digging ourselves out of this mess isn’t going to be easy.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Pat
7 months ago

The problem that perplexes you is not that Americans are oblivious, but that your vote doesn’t count. The two parties structured the voting so that your votes don’t count. Prime example: Trump won 80% of all precincts in 2020, but lost. The key precincts called the election, and that is by design.

SEcond: primary 2024: it is Trump (R) vs Haley (D) for GOP ticket. It’s Biden (D) vs Biden (D) for democrat ticket. Everyone else is told to go to hell, not your turn.

Last edited 7 months ago by Charles Kronick
The school committee
The school committee
Reply to  Charles Kronick
7 months ago

FOX news says you are mad everyday.Rush Limbaugh to you who to be mad at.

Rule 5
Rule 5
7 months ago

?

Jonathan A. Melle
Jonathan A. Melle
Reply to  Rule 5
7 months ago

On Tuesday night (March 26th, 2024), the Pittsfield City Council will meet with an agenda with over 400 pages. Sarcasm: Pittsfield politicians will vote on a Declaration of War against Trees. More sarcasm: I am sure that the 11 City Councilors spent their weekend reading over 400 pages of bureaucratic agenda items.

Chuck Garivaltis"/"
Chuck Garivaltis"/"
7 months ago

Have we gone crazy? City officials want to spend up to $40 million dollars ($40,000,000) to renovate Wahconah Park. This is now a park Pittsfield youngsters no longer use for games or play space. Even high school football games are 3 miles away from center Pittsfield at the bottom of West Mountain. Wahconah Park now is sometimes used by a summer league team that is not going to use it this summer. My experience with this type of summer team is it is not long term. It is not a professional team. It is not a team made up of Pittsfield youngsters. These are players trying to make the pros. Some do, most do not. This type of league is not long term. Is it really possible Pittsfield is considering spending $40 million dollars to rebuild a park on swampland that no longer favors Pittsfield youngsters to use?

Funhouse Mirrors
Funhouse Mirrors
Reply to  Chuck Garivaltis"/"
7 months ago

If you look under the facade you will see that this has almost NOTHING to do with baseball. It is going to be a special interest venue to hold events. Some art related, some pride related, some food truck jamborees and other assorted private business revenue generators. Count on it.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
Reply to  Chuck Garivaltis"/"
7 months ago

Great post Chuck. You are a voice of reason.

Markus Aurelius
Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

Dan, I’ve mentioned it on The Planet before. I remember listening to your show in the early 2000’s, when the Bouton Group offered their help to get decent baseball back to Bitchfield. They also offered to help renovate Wahconah Park.
The “leaders” of Bitchfield realizing that their financial gain off this project would be minimal at best, killed the idea.
One of the areas of concern of the Bouton Group was the seemingly always flooded out parking lot. They offered to fix it, but at the time, Ward 6 councilor Joe Guzzo was a key figure in Bitchfield’s ending of the Bouton Groups plans.
After this, you coined the phrase “Lake Guzzo,” for the Wahconah Park flooded out parking lot. That name has always stuck with me.
It was always really fun too, in the fall to drive a vehicle into Lake Guzzo with all of the bumps and ruts caused by the flooded conditions to watch a high school football game.

Last edited 7 months ago by Markus Aurelius
snark shark
snark shark
Reply to  Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

I think Ruberto was the one who spiked it at the last minute. Read his book.

Markus Aurelius
Markus Aurelius
Reply to  snark shark
7 months ago

I won’t disagree with you Snark. I’m sure Joe Guzzo was a Ruberto pawn.

Most were.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  Markus Aurelius
7 months ago

From the book, Bouton appears to report that Guzzo was key in ending the new stadium. Am I incorrect? Who were the ‘3 Amigos’ again?

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

What does Ruberto have to with Bouton? Doyle was Mayor. Was he in the background?

Crab
Crab
7 months ago

I’m hearing that a local business or bank wants to sponsor a stadium. Wants their name on it, but without having to invest most of the capital. They want public money used for the majority of the costs. First one to come up with the name gets a free tour of the Husky Plant at the PEDA site or a free pen from the SABIC Global (“we will be here for ever” ) HQ on Plastics Ave.

Give Me More
Give Me More
Reply to  Crab
7 months ago

Gotta be Milltown.

Will He
Will He
Reply to  Crab
7 months ago

Why don’t the panhandlers chip in and fix Wahconah. They could even rename the team. Ready? The Pittsfield Panhandlers.

Meanwhile
Meanwhile
Reply to  danvalenti
7 months ago

Speaking of such things. All the land has been or is being prepared on the GE site, Stanley Business Park to entice business s to come here and take advantage of the free infrastructure and TIFs the tax payers are offering. But many of them have turned around before they got there because, after traveling the first half mile down cratered East street, they formed doubts as to whether they could keep up with the inevitable vehicle maintenance issues they would surely be incurring. They wondered what was gong on in the heads of the city fathers that the roads were allowed to deteriorate to such an extent.
They were much perplexed and went looking in other cities, as did so many before them, and the land remained prepared but still a barren void of productivity for yet another 25 years.

Church Walles
Church Walles
Reply to  Meanwhile
7 months ago

And don’t forget Tamarac rd over the years near the airport. Turn this plane around !!!

pothole
pothole
7 months ago

Is there a thought to do a much less grand version of Wahconah park but still have a first class field? I mean where they actually play not the things around the field. We all know the ball park isn’t actually going to be a profitable venture except for a few hot dog sellers and maybe a liquor license holder, so why not have a grill and a smaller version built on a less prone to flooding park already under the city’s ownership ? Similar to what they have done on east street?But with locker rooms for the traveling players if and when they come. Where? I’m not a city engineer but there is plenty of room and parking at a few locations its guessing but for nostalgic reasons my guess is they won’t be explored. It’s a lot of work to propose a new idea and get people on board and probably easier to whine a little about the current plan but ultimately go and vote for it anyway. My not would let Wahconah park go and make out a free green space. ok maybe a dog walking park. Ideas?

snark shark
snark shark
Reply to  pothole
7 months ago

There was once talk of building it on special interest owned polluted land of East street.

MD
MD
7 months ago

Bitchfield’s Folly
In the heart of Bitchfield, where dreams collide, A cityscape painted with hope and pride, Lies a tale of grandeur, a misguided quest, Where dollars dance, but hearts protest.
Act I: The Proposal
The mayor stood tall, his voice a trumpet’s call, “Behold, dear citizens, our shining ball! A baseball park, a beacon in the night, Forty million dollars, a dazzling sight!”
The crowd hushed, eyes wide like stadium lights, Whispers echoed through the moonless nights: “Can we afford this dream, this lavish spree? Or does it chain our souls, forever unfree?”
Act II: The Divide
Bitchfield split in twain, a fault line deep, Between those who cheered and those who weep. The wealthy elite, their pockets lined with gold, Saw the park as progress, a story to be told.
But the working class, their hands calloused and worn, Felt the weight of debt, their dreams slowly torn. Forty million dollars, a sum beyond reach, While schools crumbled, and libraries beseeched.
Act III: The Broken Diamond
The stadium rose, steel beams scraping the sky, Its lush green field a promise, a hopeful lie. Children pressed against fences, noses smudged, Yearning for tickets, their innocence judged.
Yet the truth lay bare, like cracked concrete: The residents, burdened, couldn’t compete. Their wallets thin, their hopes deflated, Bitchfield’s folly left them dislocated.
Epilogue: Echoes of Regret
Now, the stadium stands, a monument to pride, But empty seats echo the pain they hide. Forty million dollars, a phantom’s toll, As Bitchfield weeps for its fractured soul.
So remember, dear reader, when dreams take flight, To weigh the cost, to seek the true light. For in Bitchfield’s folly, a lesson unfolds: Not all that glitters is worth forty million gold.

Church Walles
Church Walles
Reply to  MD
7 months ago

And the team won’t play this summer,let that be told.

Charles Kronick
Charles Kronick
Reply to  MD
7 months ago

A veritable work of art.

Taxpayer Siege
Taxpayer Siege
Reply to  MD
7 months ago

It’s official your building more schools.

Taxpayer Siege
Taxpayer Siege
Reply to  MD
7 months ago

Maybe the lines will be painted and spelled correctly when it’s built. Or when they’re built.

snark shark
snark shark
Reply to  MD
7 months ago

Awesome.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
7 months ago

Get a look at this list of freebies being given to illegals in MA!
Healey & legislators should be FIRED!

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/03/look-crazy-list-things-illegal-immigrants-get-free/

Church Walles
Church Walles
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
7 months ago

Insidious.

Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
7 months ago
Dave
Dave
7 months ago

Dan,

I believe that the reason most folks in Pittsfield, and everywhere else for that matter struggle so much is because people live well beyond their means. People who make 65k are living like they make 100k. They probably have around 10k-20k in credit card debt, they live in houses they can’t afford and they spend money they don’t have. People need to start living in less than they make and budgeting better. I guarantee if people did this they would see a drastic difference.