PITTSFIELD CO-OP BRINGS IN TOP-GUN MIKE DALY TO CLEAN HOUSE AMID ACQUISITION RUMORS … meanwhile … VICTORIA MAY’S FEDERAL LAWSUIT LOOMS IN BACKGROUND
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 22, 2025) — The recent news that former Berkshire Bank CEO Mike Daly came out of retirement to head Pittsfield Cooperative Bank is good news for the local institution. It’s a move THE PLANET applauds.
Daly is a proven entity, taking Berkshire Bank public in 2000 and growing the company’s assets twelve-fold from $1 billion to $12 billion. The move to hire Daly coincides with the rumored acquisition of the Co-Op by another financial institution. This news has not been officially confirmed or publicly announced, though THE PLANET heard of it through solid local sources. We have been told four things: the company is from Springfield, it’s smaller than the Co-Op, it intends to keep the Co-Op name and brand, and it wants “culture change.”
Daly’s job: A house cleaning. Get rid of the “frat atmosphere” that ran amok and replace it with professionalism. Seems things got a little out of hand at the Co-Op. We hear that in its due diligence, the prospective buyer came across Victoria May’s lawsuit naming Co-Op CEO Jay Anderson, CFO Chip Moore, and Sr. VP Peter Marchetti.
As a refresher, here are some of the claims in the suit:
- Re: Moore—“It was a well-known secret that one of the Executives, Defendant Moore, regularly watched pornography in his office with the door closed on a work computer. Once an employeewalked in on him and saw this. His computer caught a virus as a result of the websites hewas visiting on work hours.” The filing says Moore continued to surf porn throughout the length of May’s tenure.
- Re: Women—Many women left the Co-Op “as a result of the hostile work environment fostered by the Defendants.” It names Nadine Whiting, associate vice president (“Defendant Moore regularly and openly made comments about Whiting’s physical appearance, including her breasts”); Allison Long, whom, the suit alleges, Anderson propositioned; Rebecca Lawson, “who Moore would often talk about sexually in front of Plaintiff.”
- Re: Marchetti–He “was allowed to denigrate, harass, and demean Plaintiff both in meetings with others and alone, despite the fact that he was not the Plaintiff’s supervisor.” At one meeting, “Marchetti flew off the handle, irrationally upset … He began yelling, red-faced and sweating, pointing in Plaintiff’s face, calling her a bitch and other derogatory names, told her to shut up, and told her she did not know how to do things.” The suit claims that later, Marchetti admitted to May “that he had been in trouble in the past with the Bank due to having called at least one other female employee a “bitch.”
THE PLANET reminds readers that Marchetti is the same man who is now Bitchfield mayor. If May’s accusations are true, what does that say about the emotional fitness of this self-declared “openly gay” man to run the city? His emotional stability? His ability to work in a productive and collegial fashion with women? Is this a man citizens can trust?
You can read the full text of May’s filing on Sept. 11, 2023 in U.S. District Court in Springfield in the following link:
May_v_Pittsfield_Cooperative_Bank_et__madce-23-30091__0001.0
———- 000 ———-
Change is coming. Last year, the bank got a new logo. It revamped its website, signage, branch locations, and made changes to its technical platforms. Personnel changes are in the wind:
- Marchetti was fired, though he said he “resigned” to run for mayor. Right.
- Anderson left the Co-Op earlier this month. The bank said “for health reasons.” True, dat. The board of directors got sick of him.
- Moore presumably is still there as CFO/treasurer, but how long before he, too, decides to “retire?” Will he suddenly “want to spend more time with my family?”
May’s lawsuit includes charges Marchetti with:
- sex discrimination
- creating a hostile work environment
- aiding and abetting discriminatory acts
- unlawful interference with May’s rights
- intentional affliction of emotional distress. In Bitchfield, such a resume makes a man prime mayoral timber. That gives you an idea of the quality of local government.
Sources say Daly will reestablish a “healthy culture” at the Co-Op.
The bank’s Board of Directors led by John Martin made the right call in bringing in Daly, a winner. Daly will take care of business.
You can bank on it.
———————————————————————-
“Yelling? Red-faced? Sweating? Is that a ‘hissy fit’ or a ‘sissy fit’? — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Daly is not one that I would recommend. That being said it seems the Co-Ops board wants to cash out for their retirement instead of being good stewards for the people who bank with them. I could never understand how people who are considered on the “fringe” of society could back our current mayor. Seems they are a little screwy in the head
They left the son-in-law out of the picture. The bill board across from plaza package.
Nobody feels offended that Berkshire Bank assets increased by what $40 million under Daly, if the bank owns it, then the people do not. It’s Berkshire Bankcorp/Blackrock.
How many bank managers does it take to tax & spend Pittsfield into bankruptcy? Answer: One (Pittsfield) 2-Pete’s Pittsfield politics.
I wanted to share with the Planet readers a video I found on Twitter (X) this morning. It’s a feel-good video, if you are a fan of President Trump and his ending DEI programs and saving our tax money.
In this video, this DEI hire, with her worthless “Femine Studies BA Degree,” is really upset that President Trump cancelled her indoctrination training an hour before it was supposed to kick off, and then ultimately fired her.
**She was a government contractor paid to train others on “Environmental Justice,” whatever racist program that is?
And I’m pretty certain a BA degree in “Femine Studies,” would not make you a subject matter expert in anything dealing with the environment and/or justice.
Government contractor is another term for “a taxpayer funded-grift.”
https://x.com/TimcastNews/status/1882575953400074636
***Lumpy, Wimpy White, OB, you “guys” paying attention? The federal monies for this racial grift IS OVER!!
Speaking of racial grift, what about the BBEC? How is this legal?
https://berkshirebec.org/opportunities/bbec-grants/
In order to qualify for this grant, you MUST BE BLACK and between the ages of 12-25.
Imagine if The Planet offered a financial reward/grant, but the recipient MUST BE WHITE…..
The more the pigs squeal, the more we realize we are right on the target. And, need to keep on doing whatever it is we are doing to make them squeal. Love to hear them squeeeeeeeeeal.
Keep up the good work,
President Trump.
In their “didn’t earn it”twisted minds, they thought they could get away with it forever.. But reality has finally
caught up to them with these DEI jobs and so called degrees tailored for them from universities.
A moron could get a degree from just about any university if they had the preferred color, gender, and politics the last 4 years under Biden and then land a job that pays well for teaching people they are racist.
Seems the HS struck again with the firing of the white guy in a wheelchair for a person of color to be the girl’s basketball coach….seems a bit fishy especially after a 40 year career
Donald
Ended
It
Maybe Daly can fix Shitsfield too. Property taxes up thousands of dollars in the past few years,
city wasted hundreds of thousands on DEI BS, and that is just for starters.
Not a bad idea!
We need a real go getter, a real change agent to Make Shittsfield Great Again.
Trying to figure out when the clown show will end is like waiting for the last clown to climb into the clown car. It’s impossible to predict and always room for one more clown.
Remember that the audience is never sure how many clowns will exit the car after the clown show is over.
You’re stuck with lumpy unless his big gut catches up to him. And then you’ll have Bisquit ready to take the reigns.
You are right about being stuck with the current Bumbling tool and Bisquit ready to take over. Lose lose either way.
There are no electable people in Pittsfield waiting in the wings to take the corner seat should Marchetti ever give it up. No one is getting elected in Pittsfield without the financial and organization support of the special interests. And the special interests like to back candidates that will funnel millions of tax dollars in their direction whether it benefits the general population or not.
Pittsfield has a quasi government which is by design set up to fail its people and benefit those who are already doing quite well. Please stop saying we need to vote out people like Marchetti and Tyer and White, because the only people electable are people just like them. Getting a respectable, honorable person who will actually work for and understand the plight of taxpayers is not going to happen. Stop saying or thinking it might.
People like Marchetti, White and Tyer are totally oblivious that taxpayers have other bills to pay and are struggling enough before some ass clowns add in ginormous expenses like dog walking parks or refurbished ball parks.
Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “Politicians are not born, they are
excreted.”
It’s a private charter granted by the State to a bunch of rich guys to do what the heck they want. As you say very well, it’s not a real government. There are people who can run and win, but what for? You need the mayor’s office, a super majority council, the school committee. Then you need to fire everyone on public commissions. Then rebuild every department.
Then you need a civic Charter that operates to preserve the public interests and funds to replace the private interest Charter.
Good luck with that.
And you need to hold the mayors office for at least two consecutive terms to root out the weasels on those boards.
Come on Man! You got a problem with your taxes going up 500 bucks per year?
I do. Cuz home insurance, car insurance, car repairs, food, dental, medical and EVERYTHING ELSE is going up. Income? Very very little.
But the city is tossing around multi millions of dollars like they just won the country’s biggest lottery and for things not close to being necessary, especially in tough times. So many people just scraping by and the Marchetti, Tyer crowd is spending their money like it was bottomless. Decent people would not do this. Selfish, heartless people would.
Thumbs up. Indecency.
Precisely Holmes!
Glad to see some of the truth is coming out about Pittsfield carpet Bank. I know things were changing. I left as a deposit myself because of some of the changes. Let’s see how Marchetti responds to this.
January 24, 2025
Over 70 percent of the students enrolled in the Level 5, Group 11 Pittsfield Public School District are living in poverty. In return, Pittsfield will receive many millions of dollars in additional state administered, federal aid due to the postindustrial, small city’s large underclass population.
Pittsfield’s municipal and public school district government runs on Perverse Incentives because the more socioeconomic misery equals tens of millions of dollars in state aid for Kufflink’s secretive $lu$h Fund$ and the like. North Street is sarcastically called “Social Services Alley”.
Pittsfield’s middle-class population is always shrinking in numbers, while the city’s only economic growth is in its large underclass population. Pittsfield is like a futuristic dystopian movie, such as Back the Future II. The common people face RETRIBUTION when they exercise FREE SPEECH to their incompetent state and local government officials.
In closing, one word: DISSERVICES!
Jon Melle
Something doesn’t smell right with that 70% number. According to numerous sites , Pittsfield’s poverty rate is around 13.5 % far from 70. Seems to me they’re manipulating the data. Of course it’s all for the children.
January 24, 2025
Predictable Pittsfield politics does NOT operate based on reality. Rather, it is all propaganda and outright lies by the political insiders who are out for MONEY and POWER.
In predictable Pittsfield politics, it is always the same 5% (or higher) spending increases per fiscal year going back over 4 decades (and possibly prior), the city’s secretive financial management shell games with the state, the city’s public school district’s failed Level 5 public schools, and so on.
I wrote more words in my first post, but it was edited out. I wrote about how the state and local politicians are very disconnected from the common residents, especially with a few of them who live in luxury in their respective mansions in Pittsfield’s elitist Gated Community west of Berkshire Community College, along with some of their out-of-the-area upscale residences.
The point I am making it is all for show in Pittsfield politics and Massachusetts state politics alike. The career politicians are lying to the common people on so many levels that it would take many more words to describe the propaganda that belies the realities that the common people face in Pittsfield (& beyond).
I am 100% sure that blogger Dan Valenti not only understands what is happening here, but also, I believe that he knows far more than I do, despite my personal negative experiences in Pittsfield politics to Boston that is sometimes edited out of his blog about Pittsfield politics (& beyond).
Jon Melle
Johnny you should tell the story about growing up when you got with your dirty bird in hand staring at a used up playgirl magazine lol. Who caught you?that story is wicked funny.
“I wrote more words in my first post, but it was edited out”
Thank heavens. You need to run your work through grammarly and limit to 150 words. Crunch, crunch, cut, cut.
Editing remark:
“The point I am making it is all for show in Pittsfield politics and Massachusetts state politics alike”
Wordy and passive. Try,
State and Pittsfield politics delivers nothing but a show.
You can cut words from a first draft as easily as cut the greenback stuff from a Pittsfield budget.
All this poverty in Pittsfield yet the mayor seems to think they can afford huge tax increases on an annual basis. And this guy supposedly had a job working with numbers? Seriously?
Couldn’t agree more. 30+ million ballpark, 100 million new elementary school and looking into spending millions on removing one of the most efficient roads in the City. We don’t need any of this waste. Still haven’t even discussed a new police station, which we actually need. Wahconah park should be renovated. I would like a second opinion on the structure, steel can be replaced.
Could have had a new station with some of the 40 plus million Tyer pissed away from the feds. And of course a new Taconic was not needed.
Dan, thanks for the refresher on the Pittsfield Coop case, especially about Mayor Lumpy. I have heard that Mayor Lumpy has thrown quite a few of his “red faced tantrums ” in City Hall since being elected. Could these out of control tantrums be the reason he has not fired Morales? Is he afraid of another lawsuit if he does fire any of the current department heads because he has lost his cool in front of them. In the past newly elected Mayors have always brought in new faces to run the departments. Seems strange that Mayor Lumpy did not replace anyone. Just a thought, he is definitely afraid of something.
Thanks for the input, M&B. I agree that the mayor seems edgy and unsure.
He is out for the city’s 6-figure public pay/pension plus perks for life. Nothing has changed on over 1-year in Pittsfield politics. The trash toters illustrate his mayoral tenure.
Dan, are gay blades more prone to mental health challenges such as anger control?
No. I’ve worked for many who are gay. All were straight.
Maybe he is not bringing in fresh blood because he is not being allowed to. The real powers that run the city (and him) put much more value on loyalty than any ability to perform a job efficiently. And actually, loyalty is the reason he was backed for mayor himself. But you have to look no further than the school situation to see what I am talking about. It is all around if you look.
Lumpy’s chicken coop:)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/20/business/steward-hospital-sale-law-private-equity/
They already own the hospitals & Dr offices.
Dan, I’m willing to bet my pension those cases never see the light of day.
Settlements will be reached and NDA’s will be signed, ensuring that.
The most obvious reason is Lumpy and the political fallout/damage it would cause to the current power players, for them backing him knowing this storm would arise one day.
His “openly gay” mayoral-ship will be shown a quiet, but harshly understood, “don’t run again for health/family reasons, or else.”
You know the Bitchfield GOBSIG’s will also apply pressure to the bank as well. Something can always “pop up wrong,” tying a bank sale up in court for years, until “resolved.”
**Repeat second sentence.
This will probably be the end of Wimpy White’s “mayoral-ship bid.” Severe that before it even festers into a problem next election cycle.
During a debate just remind VOTERS that Wimpy White was CC President, during the Dancin’ Dean coke ring, PHS ASSistant “principles” involved in alleged pedophilia, and his rubber stamping everything Lumpy proposed = POLITICAL POISON
Who will be odds on favorite now?
JM, now is the time to toss your hat in the ring. Show us what you got! You talk a big game. Now back it up.
I think that it would be very funny for me to would-be run for Mayor of my native hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Also, I have more enemies than allies in the Pitts. My enemy #1’s mansion is only 0.3-miles in distance from the lovely former Mayor’s mansion that she shares with her millionaire 3rd husband, Barry Clairmont.
Next month, Luciforo will turn 61 years old, which means than in around 24 years from now, Luciforo will be relocated from his Gated Community life of luxury in the Pitts to his forever home where he won’t have to pay for heat because it is a lot hotter in Hell than it is in his $950,000 mansion that is located west of Berkshire Community College.
My 80.5-year-old dad, Bob, loves politics – even still. But that is/was his life. I am living my own life now. As an aside, I like to tell my dad that Robert and Jonathan Kraft who own the New England Patriots share the same first names as the spoiled Pats fans Robert and Jonathan Melle, but we have peanuts instead of many billions of dollars.
P.S. In New England, there is God and Tom Brady, who would make a great Mayor of Pittsfield politics.
I found it interesting to see your “AI bots” rearranged my post the way the Hate Rag use to do and as to why I don’t write letters to the editor anymore. The words about how Mike Daly is a backstabbing bully were witnessed first hand during his other banking job. Why it was deleted I’m not sure but I can guarantee they brought him in for one reason a sale to a bank in pioneer valley so the OBN can cash out. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one pushing Jay out all the way!
I thought B B got rid of pompous Mike?
He left without explanation. Does anyone know why? It never was disclosed but it did seem like he left in hurry. Is he a local GOBSIG now, or not? Does he even live in The PItts?
Another PHS scandal – Joe Racicot, longtime girls basketball coach, released from job. What the hell is going on with the PHS principal, HR director and Curtis? They should all be under investigation for the issues with the Deans, VP & SRO. Where’s the transparency?
https://www.iberkshires.com/story/77844/Pittsfield-High-Basketball-Coach-Released-Without-Explanation.html
Most interesting. And credit iBerkshire’s for giving this good coverage. Note the times the reporter, Stephen Dravis, says repeated requests for comment were ignored. Par the for course for the PSD. Anywhere else, that’s unacceptable. In Bitchfield, “you don’ know nuttin, you don’ say nuttin’.”
Who is the new coach? Lesbian POC?
Agree, definitely need to add Marchetti to the investigations, he’s their boss and has already stated he is “clueless”.
Guv Healey increasing state spending by 7% and putting a tax on candy! Stop the spending! Stop the taxing!
She gave state lawmakers and other “important” state officials, including herself, an 11.39-percent pay raise plus perks effective on New Year’s Day 2025. She is increasing state spending by 7-percent by proposing to spend $62 billion in fiscal year 2026 (July 01, 2025 – June 30, 2026). She is borrowing many billions of dollars for state projects and programs. She claims legal exemption from the open meeting law, along with state lawmakers and the state’s honorable Justices.
She was repeatedly criticized by former Lenox State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, who did not criticize the Speaker of the State House of Representatives, nor the State Senate President. She is also the object of New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte’s fixation, along with Kelly’s cringe-like criticisms of Massachusetts. Unlike Kelly, she dislikes Donald Trump and his far right politics, especially when it comes to abortion and reproductive healthcare.
A. only behind number one New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. She is the one and only Maura Healey.
Democrats voters just don’t care if their leaders are stupid or crooks. They just need a D after their names and the liberal democrat lemmings vote for them forever.
Yeah and Healey sucks. She needs a viable conservative opponent in the next election.
RINOS do well running for governor but they don’t govern better than the moonbats.. The speaker of the house has more power than the governor.
A tax on Candy? That’s Kenny Warren’s favorite stripper !
Another better bad idea or will this actually help?
“Expected study to explore ‘potentially transformative’ highway removal in Pittsfield, restoring neighborhoods decimated by urban renewal” from Saturday’s Eagle..
The frds screwed it ip in the 60’s. Now they aim to “fix” it. Maybe Morales can guide them.
What highway?
Someone help me out. How would reducing Center street and eliminating the smaller road restore the westside neighborhood? The railroad tracks create a permanent border from West to Columbus. The 1.6 million for the study should go to our roads that are tore up like I have never seen before. Really like to see the Hubbard Ave. underpass widen and repaved for starters. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Good questions. Good points.
Where did she go to scohol?
https://youtu.be/YeYgTXtlDO0?si=EKCX6xa6Z3oZrwOn
https://youtu.be/-F1fyNy4ZV8?si=oCOhxwZzLdkGPnoQ
Have her try and spell Philadelphia!
Disregard this link…. It’s not what I wanted to post and I was unable to edit it:(
Elon Musk speaks to Germany’s far right political party.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/elon-musk-appears-video-german-far-right-campaign-event-2025-01-25/
Trump’s biggest bank-roller is a fascist.
Please stop your TDS hate and stop posting Marxist news links.
According to the delusion left-thinking crowd…
Anyone who doesn’t align with the Democrat/Marxist ideology is a
fascist.
Getting old!
The Berkshire Eagle announces that 70% of Pittsfield students live in low income households, but the Eagle never questions the outrageous garbage system that will charge residents for an extra toter and issue fines to these same poor families if they can’t squeeze everything inside these ridiculously small toters. They do want you to cheer that the city is supposedly saving money due to the new system, but rest assured that the poor people of this city will not benefit from the savings.
The Berkshire Eagle also announces that per their contract the Pittsfield school personnel will get their big raises while cuts will need to be made including getting rid of many educators in the schools. Students and their education will suffer so some school personnel can get their raises. The school system in Pittsfield perfectly shows how Democrats pick and choose winners in this city. Most people are kept below the poverty line while others get raises for home projects and that extra vehicle. Our local newspaper never questions the hypocrisy since they are in bed with local politicians. Improved education would mean better jobs prospects for these students so they could pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty, but local businesses like 1 Berkshire are more interested in investing in the jobs prospects of illegal immigrants.
The local media is constantly spewing word, salad, and insane propaganda.. As if it is a holy, Grail acknowledge from on high..
I almost always look at the words used in the local rags on what they write about. Are there words meant to cause fear,
jealousy, or anger? I become wary if it is so.
Doesn’t say much for school administrators when you have a lifetime and great disabled basketball coach who gave his all, not to mention Hall of Fame also? And given no reason for dismissal?
Curtis and Lameurouex Benke are the culture of school not reporting.They never want to know the truth and thats the facts.They do not want to know.They can not stay on.They should all be suspended.Lying to the school committee is not leadership.They are all unqualified nitwits