SNOW AND SNOW JOBs CONTINUE TO PILE UP IN PITTSFIELD
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY DEC. 9, 2019) — The snowier it is, the more “behinder” Pittsfield gets.
Parking and snow removal: Two fundamental services of city government that have now become Rubik’s Cube. You’d think by now the city would have figured out how to deliver these essentials, especially at the desolating tax rates just imposed by the Administration and council on homeowners and businesses.
But nooooooooooo, as comic Steve Martin used to say. Snow has become too much, literally and figuratively.
The early snow that blanketed the beautiful Berkshires must be an unusual mixture. The intricate crystals that fall in Dalton, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington somehow arrive on earth in a manner that conforms to ease-of-removal: plowing, shoveling, and plucked by chopsticks. It is Smart Snow. It falls at the direction of The Head Snowflake, who directs each flake to its proper landing. Pittsfield has Stupid Snow. There is no Head Snowflake. Snow falls as it will, leaving city officials flummoxed.
THE PLANET sent the following e-mail to the mayor, Highway Department superintendent Vinny Barbarotta, Austin Liebenow foreman, and the department secretary:
Can you give me a breakdown of snow removal in Pittsfield?
I’m interested in numbers. How many in-house plows and plowers? How many contracts? Which companies have contracts to plow for the city?
How does the city handle monitoring, supervision, and management? Please detail. Who handles complaints? Where should complaints be directed?
Does the city have a Snow Plow Map, available in real time?
I am working on a story about snow removal in Pittsfield. This will be of great help. My deadline is Sunday at 6 p.m.
We heard back from Ricardo Morales, city engineer and interim DPS commissioner:
Dan,
Please read below for a response to questions sent to Janis on Friday
- How many in-house plows and plowers?
The city’s Public Services and Utilities department utilizes 6 large plows with sanders which are used on the main routes. The department also utilizes an additional 13 trucks with plows and some level of sanding equipment used to support snow removal operations in public grounds, schools and parking lots. In an event like the one last week, with prolonged duration and high snowfall rate, our in-house operations turn into 12 hour shifts, with 6 highway employees, one on each main route.
- How many contracts?
We have 60 contractors available to us.
- Which companies have contracts to plow for the city?
We have a mix of individuals and companies. For the companies these are the ones signed on: John’s Excavating, EMS Landscaping, Sayers, JSSJR Enterprises, Integrastone Woodland Excavation, LKL Home and Property, King & Sons, Intelisano Paving.
- How does the city handle monitoring, supervision, and management?
When dealing with snow plowing operations, the Commissioner, Highway Superintendent and Public Grounds Superintendent monitor the event prior to its arrival and develop the operational plan. During the event, most of the decision making happens at the Superintendent level with input from the Commissioner. Contractor management falls under the highway superintendent. Quality control is performed by the Traffic compliance inspector and foreman as well as by each of the active supervisors working throughout the city.
- Please detail. Who handles complaints?
Complaints are handled by the Highway Superintendent for streets and Public Grounds Superintendent for off-street ones.
- Where should complaints be directed?
Complaints can be reported to any of the following numbers: 413-499-9314, 413-499-9330 and 413-499-9321 or online at https://www.cityofpittsfield.org/report/index.php
- Does the city have a Snow Plow Map, available in real time?
We do not currently have a real-time map however, we have the following ones available online which breaks down the 6 main routes and 30 quadrants.
–Ricardo
Department of Public Services & Utilities
City of Pittsfield
100 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 448-9768
rmorales@cityofpittsfield.org
www.cityofpittsfield.org
In addition to this official response, THE PLANET heard unofficially from our peeps in the Department of Public Services. They spoke of not having a “game plan.” Plows assignments lack coordination, and too many contracted plow jockeys don’t know what they’re doing or don’t care enough to do it well. Unsupervised, some go for the rip-off, doing private jobs on city time using taxpayer-paid salt and sand. Could this explain the mysterious $2.3 million budget deficit from last year’s mild winter? Said Peep 1, “The department knows about this problem. It’s been reported but nothing [gets] done.”
The problems have piled up, literally. Here are a few relayed to THE PLANET:
- Salt being randomly dumped, in some cases 1″ deep.
- Untimely removal leading to “compaction.” The weight of vehicles results in a dangerous lack of traction.
- Plow drivers inexplicably driving up and down streets multiple times with plows up, the weight of the trucks packing down snow into concrete.
- Plowing too fast and too haphazardly.
- Piling snow at street corners, blocking view at intersections.
- Plugged drains creating slush lakes.
- Poorly plowed streets leading to treacherous one-lane passages.
- Peep 2 at DPS says sand/salt supply is “already low. Expect another deficit.”
- Snow piles at North Street curbside and in front of parking meters, killing downtown merchants.
Have you noticed how, after a major snowstorm, the mayor tends to disappear, as if she’s ashamed of what’s happening. How unlike the mayor of Duluth, Minnesota, a city of 85,000. After the most recent storm, mayor Emily Larson sent residents the following letter on Dec. 4:
Dear Duluth,
As a City, we have let you down in our response to this storm. As Mayor, I take full responsibility.
We can do better. Duluth deserves better. We are working [through] what has gone wrong. To have pockets of our city still untouched this morning is embarrassing and not in keeping with the basic expectations every resident deserves to have for how government needs to show up for you.
As a parent, it’s critical our kids are in school. As a neighbor, it’s important we take care of one another. As a leader, it’s essential to be reliable and provide the basics of government.
We have not done our part to fulfill expectations in these areas. I apologize to all of you for this.
I have spoken with our staff and with the school district. The closing today of Lowell and Myers Wilkins because of continued snow clearing issues goes against everything that I strive for as a leader – public education access in our schools and neighborhoods of low incomes. This neighborhood and these schools need us to show up in the biggest way. Not as an afterthought.
I’ll be having a press conference to say all of this publicly later this morning. But later doesn’t help some of you as you’re starting out with your day.
Thanks for believing in what is possible when we do everything right. And for knowing and being honest with me when we get it wrong.
– Emily
Think you’ll ever see that kind of response in Pittsfield? Yeah, and THE PLANET will lead the NHL in scoring this year.
Why is there no Snow Map option on the city’s website? If you want to see one in action, go to www.syracuse.ny.us and click on the Snow Map zoom.
The Pittsfield snow jobs get worse with each flake. Isn’t it time for the Kapanski’s in the city to unite, throw off their chains, and declare they are “mad as hell and are not going to take it anymore?”
————————————————————————————————–
“He will not see me sitting here to watch his woods fill up with snow” — Robert Frost
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Pittsfield deserves an apology as well. The response to the most recent storm was an embarrassment. Pictures surfaced on social media of city streets that still had nearly a foot of driven-through snow in some places, 48 hours after the storm.
The most maddening part of the snow removal debate was suggestions by city officials and city resident champions to report the poor conditions to PittSmart or call the mayor’s office. “They won’t know unless you report it.” Give me a break. As if the conditions were otherwise unknown to DPW or administration staff. Anyone who stepped outside could see the poor conditions.
I know for a fact that on Tuesday morning Burbank Street, Egremont Ave., and West Union all had yet to be properly cleared. These streets all lead to elementary schools. It was a disgrace.
Maybe Barry could check up on snow removal when he does his 3 am raid at Cumbies.
Having that many private contractors to oversee has to be as challenging as herding cats. Why are the city workers limited to 12 hour shifts when the private contractors work the entire storm ? The city workers probably have actually had training to plow streets.
A tired city pLow driver is as dangerous as a wide awake one.
They need to sleep you know. You can’t have people driving and plowing for 24 hours straight, and you wouldn’t have any replacements for them, even if you did.
The local news said it is going to snow again during the early a.m. hours of Wednesday morning, but it will only be about 3 inches of snow later this week.
I read that the beautiful Berkshires have lost nearly 4 percent of the population over the past decade. Maybe people are moving away from Berkshire County because they don’t want to pay super high municipal/school taxes! The state and local politicians don’t get it, while the tax base shrinks.
In closing, the politicians are a big part of the problem for Pittsfield’s distressed economy!
The Mayor didn’t even attend the Tree ng.
Lighting
A now job, a plow job, a con job, and a blow job. All in a days work in Pittsfield. May the city need another jobs Czar to manage these jobs.
Dan,
It appears you received a fairly complete response to your questions in a very timely manner, by the commissioner. You could have been given the standard 10 day public records request treatment.
However, missing was a list of names of individuals plowing for the city. I don’t expect you will be given the list unless you make it an official public records request and then you’ll be stonewalled but eventually you would get it.
And how are the 60 people paid? Hourly or by the job? How much? Who determined that?
While there is no question what city residents had to deal with is unacceptable, I want to praise one individual contractor for a superior and meticulous job in the Lakewood section. Parkside Avenue and all interior streets were done well. I do not know who he is, but he deserves the highest praise. He was plowing at 2 AM and even the end caps to all streets were plowed wide and clear. Thank you for a job well done.!
Public works meeting tonight if you want to gripe.
Get the whole story.
File a, DETAILED, FOIA request and let Tyer squirm.
Good questions, SAL.
I actually plowed for the city a few decades ago as a member of the DPW highway dept. I can still recall one dark night, snowing like hell and being called in about 11pm to man the plows. There were about 15 guys and we were all assigned city trucks big and small and sent out to designated preplanned routes. Everyone was in communication by radio and a shift supervisor was in command in his own pickup and in contact with everyone. He would oversee the whole operation from within it. Plows would break down and he would tell them to head into the maintenance garage where something might be welded and the plow sent back out. it was tough tiring work but there was great comradery amongst the guys. The supervisor was driving all over the city in real time checking to make sure things were done professionally.
So I wonder, with all the technological advances in machinery and communication, as well as mapping capabilities an the WAZE APP, how in the hell Pittsfield, Mass can screw things up so bad in the year 2019. Has any official offered an explanation of why this past storm was so poorly handled? Because if no one can identify the reason and remedy it we are so screwed going forward.
Years ago, when he was mayor, John Barrett III would drive around the city in storms to make sure streets were plowed properly. Anybody can poke Barrett for many things including this, but the streets were well plowed and snowbanks were quickly removed. Barrett was hands-on. Perhaps Ms. Tyer should start doing the same. You can’t fix what you’ve not seen first hand or don’t know about, can you?
As for private contractors using city salt and sand, they are PRIVATE contractors. If their trucks get filled with city product and they’re done with city jobs, they need to return and empty their trucks. However, my guess is it is possible that while they’re doing city routes, they also stop and do their private customers that are on the route. Obviously, this is wrong if it’s the case as they’re double dipping, being paid by the city while being paid by their private customers. This is wrong and they shouldn’t touch their private customers while doing the city’s business. Again, this comes down to supervision and monitoring, and Tyer should certainly be out during the storm.
I know for certain this never happened under Barrett’s watch, and likely not under his successors. I’ll also wager that the owners of the private contractors don’t endorse using city materials for plowing or even plowing private customers on city time to begin with. This would be the fault of employed plow drivers. In any case, this certainly needs to be addressed. How? One word – supervision.
TRUTH
Yes. JBIII loved to man the plows. Your one word, supervision, is in short supply. They ran out of this long before running out of money or salt.
Democrats rebuttal?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/schiffs-whistleblower-eric-ciaramella-held-mysterious-meeting-in-obamas-white-house-in-september-2016-likely-covering-ukraine-and-soros-groups/https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/schiffs-whistleblower-eric-ciaramella-held-mysterious-meeting-in-obamas-white-house-in-september-2016-likely-covering-ukraine-and-soros-groups/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/update-bill-barr-indicts-8-including-mueller-top-witness-for-funneling-millions-in-foreign-donations-to-adam-schiff-hillary-clinton-and-top-senate-democrats/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/nadler-lets-the-cat-out-of-the-bag-on-motive-behind-impeachment-the-president-poses-a-threat-to-our-election-video/
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/12/doj-catches-democrat-party-in-multi-million-dollar-illegal-foreign-campaign-donations-scheme-guess-what-fake-news-ny-times-uses-as-their-featured-photo/
The Republicans defense is disrupt and confuse nothing more.Good luck.Trump clearly wanted a quid pro quo from the Ukraine as the Ukraine understands what fox viewers never will. Republicans support of Russia is so anti American I believe there is a good chance we will all be speaking Russian in 5 years. America defeated from within by the Patriots of our Republic.
Is that like giving Ukarine consumables, like Obama/Barry Sotero did, instead of anti-tank weapons?
How about Biden and his crooked Son? That is quid pro quo, CAUGHT on video tape? Ol Joe bragging about it! They both are treasonous traitors. Deny that TSC!!!
Why no investigation by Pelousey et. al? Maybe it would hit home with the rest of the D-Rats that have filthy campaign contributions? China, Russia? Treason is a capital offense.
Joe Biden, and his Son hanging on a tree, is fine with me. Of course after their convictions. The video tape in court is all you need.
All it will take to get Hunter Biden to spill the beans on his and daddy’s involvement is an eight ball and a hooker.
How many hooker/strippers has Hunter knocked up so far?
He has crooked deals in China too, when the H-Beast was Sec of State.
Remember when the witch ran in 2008? And H-beast had money from a Boy named HSU?
President Trump is trying to drain the swamp, but too many in Washington want to keep a nice murky swamp to keep their bad deeds a big secret. This is why President Trump is such a threat to them. This includes the state department who think they are more important than the president. I really don’t like the idea of training people from all of these different countries about our military. That’s how it has always been done they say even years before President Trump arrived in Washington, but we didn’t have terrorism this bad back in those days. After the shootings in Florida on the military base, should we rethink this program?
Trump is the filthy swamp of side deals using my taxes as bribe money for political dirt.
Hillary had the Christopher Steele dossier on Trump. She was the one getting dirt from Russia on Trump. Those are the facts.
No, it isn’t the truth. In fact, nothing we read these days anywhere is the truth on either side, from any place, from local to national. We are all mushrooms – kept in the dark and fed BS.
Fakesayer,
No we are not all mushrooms. Speak for yourself!
Many on this thread take the time to research topics instead of getting all their info from main stream news. Maybe you just need a little more discernment.
The Steele dossier has been largely discredited. It contains information than could not be verified and does not fit the factual record. Impeachment has been in the works “a priori,” starting the day after Election Day in 2016.
That ridiculous Dan but Fox News promotes that as his criminal defense 25 times per day.
Trump IS the swamp. And frankly, my dogs are more important than Trump.
Highest taxes for a poverty stricken city in the country.High taxes for unsafe corners of snow on purpose I might add.High taxes for lousy schools.One large plow was going so fast down a major street it threw snow 15 feet on purpose again.Our current new mayor has no control of departments because she is not watching.I believe our Mayor is insubordinate in her duties.I just cant believe voters thought Tyer did a great job.Snow removal was not even put in the budget this year after 2 seasons of a total of 3.3 million short.
I drive all over the county and there was nothing as bad as Pittsfield. I feel bad for that neighborhood surrounding Newell st. All of those streets became an ice skating rink about 2-3 days after the storm. You might be lucky to see pavement today if it melts enough.
Dan, I am hesitant to lay blame on the plow workers, I know a couple of them and they work their assess off. The problem is there is zero leadership and accountability. I have seen it enough in the private sector as well, when there is a lack of leadership even the great employees toss their arms up and say screw it.
Kinda like the cops and the FBI. Line officers doing their job. Higher ups getting away with screwups and incompetence and conspiracies.
Two separate City Of Pittsfield plow trucks have been up and down my street since 9a.m., eight times with their plows up. Guess what, my street is still and has been covered with snow for a week now. Are these drivers colored blind, do they not know what snow is? Has anyone taught them how to lower the plow or is it they are driving so fast that they don’t even see the road. Does the Mayor know there is a problem? If she does, where is the apology and the promise that it will be straightened out for the future? My thoughts are she could care less. I am sure you can eat off her private gated community road. As long as her and Barry’s life is vibrant and dynamic, the he** with the rest of the taxpayers.
Working from home today?
Shakes, what s stupid question and what business is it of yours, and why does it matter!? Bottom line the City is not doing their job!
I think I’ve asked about this before, but the 1Berkshires article in the Eagle this AM sorta reinforced it. What DOES 1Berkahires do? Is that yet another snow job? Is it a state agency, public/private partnership or something else again? Article said their entire revenue for the year was $1.8 million; most coming from event attendance and memberships. The events calendar though is pretty darn paltry except for some self-congratulatory soirees, and it seems the revenue generated is dedicated to the perpetuation of the organization and supporting its apparent sinecure-type jobs. One of very few organizations I’ve seen whose website names no one who works there, yet features 45 people on its Board of Directors pages…yes they have 2 boards! Who pays for this? How many people actually work there? Is their ” revenue”, as reported, essentially dedicated to providing jobs & training for the well-born & well-connected young offspring of the GOBSIGs? What is up with that?!?
MR G
Fair and timely questions. Over the years, w have lost count of these sorts of agencies: quasi public-private, public money involved, highly political in nature, with some kind of hazy, ill-defined “economic development” intention. What we typically get are those “slap ourselves on the back” fancy soirees at HON or other favors spots. A prob might be in order.
Dan,
Best one was the Pittsfield agency? Community something? They still sucking us dry?
That had the “Turkey baster Lesbian” on it’s board. Ms Lighten?
That made Pittsfield FAMOUS!!! NATIONWIDE!!!! ROFL!!!
Best,
MT
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/insemination-fight-ends-in-wifes-arrest,131553
For those not in the know. You can’t make this up..
“Wife” ROFL!!!!!
I can’t type what IT/Wife is here. But wasn’t the “husband” arrested? ROFL!!!
I’ll be back! The Lesbian Im-pregnator…….and I wear the pants!
Awww geez, just ruined by breakfast by reading that story.
Yeah,the ethics tickets Ruboytoy put her on it.
You don’t know what it’s name but it still sucking us dry. Are you a Trumper? Barry is out at three in the morning looking for Low votes and you should appreciate what he does for you, all the while hanging out at the voters office.
What is the Pittsfield , Community Action League And Mr/Miss/Mrs/The bull dyke, Lighten, up to these days?
Lots of good points and valid questions. A back slapping, self serving, typical GOBSIGS group if there ever was once, perhaps even the pinnacle of them all. Worthy of a A Planet Expose, but as a quasi private public entity, they will be good at keeping the nuts burried. Dan will need a gumshoe or two or a special Z agent like Police Report to dig up the dirt.
J-99
There are ways to get at it. The quasi”private” nature is an impediment, true. The way to get at it is from the inside.
Tyer should just resign.
Well her and Ruffer should be questioned at minimum on the Beacon set up,especially the chairs Stanley purchased.a
Another note,the Covanta sale and the money she gave them for a boiler? Hello,stupid Pittsfield taxpayers. The City is NOT required to employee a private carriers employees through a Give like quid pro quo boiler, knowing the contract would soon be up with no assurances they would stay here for the 500g?….They should give the 500g back as they swindled us through the sale.
Get Adam Schiff on the case.
ROFL!!!
Schiffs to busy not blinking. What’s up with that?
Nader used to weigh 338 pounds. He ought to shed the current charade he’s been conducting
Trump weighs 375 now as nd nervoudly packing it on
WASHINGTON—Touting his impressive record of serving on the board of a notable natural gas company, President Donald Trump offered Hunter Biden a job in the U.S. Department of Energy Monday based on his experience in the oil industry. “Given his unparalleled background in this sector, I am pleased to have Hunter Biden joining the Energy Department as the new Deputy Secretary for the Office of International Affairs,
@The school committee:
Wow! Trump was impeached! Not for bribery, pissing off liberal second rate constitutional law professors, or even collusion. He was impeached on Impeachment Light charges. What is the main complaint? He did not appear before Congress without a lawyer or any laws of order established by Nadler.
Even the whistleblower has fled. Even Pelosi has scurried off to wrapping up the President’s bills.
Is that part of the GOBSIGS plan to crown Mayor PETE before 4 more years are up????? Hard to beat an incumbent you know?
With that being said,I wish Randi Stone would run for Mayor in afoul years.
The Berkshire Museum wants more of your money to cover a $100k operating budget deficit. This is after they raised $53.5 million from their unethical sales of 22 pieces of historic artwork. Maybe they can request money from the GE settlement fund?
Pittsfield politics recently raised your municipal taxes, while they have $10 million in reserves, plus they will receive millions of additional dollars in 2020 from the state for their public school district. Why not soak the hard hit taxpayers, such as Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski?
The Berkshire Eagle’s Amanda Drane stated: “On Tuesday, the City Council will meet for a final time in its current form. The agenda is rather light, though it does include a fresh petition from Councilors Chris Connell, Melissa Mazzeo and Kevin Morandi requesting a recalculation of the seven-year plan for water and sewer rates — given a wastewater treatment upgrade underway significantly dropped in price.” So, will Pittsfield politics lower the proposed rate hikes on Tuesday night’s City Council meeting?
Why is Pittsfield politics all about shaking down their local residents and small businesses?
– Jonathan Melle
What did they do with the money? Is it invested or gaining interest somewhere? The museum should be able to operate off the interest paid on the 53 million and stop trying to suck the public teat dry. Is Ruberto in favor of this current begathon and does he personally, as a museum insider know what is being done with the windfall. Are the museums finances public since they are constantly looking for handouts?
The article in the Eagle stated this is where part of the dough is parked.
https://www.northerntrust.com/united-states/philadelphia
We need our 400 k climate control donation back that was going to save the Museum.Your prices are ridiculous. If we give the money you should call it the Pittsfield Museum. We donated the Colonial Theater to Kate Maguire. We should have given it to Barrington Stage company who is the greatest thing to happen in Pittsfield in my life.This woman literally saved Pittsfield. Its up to us to run the business of Pittsfield efficiently.
Did the guy that pushed to sell the irreplaceable art quit and leave town after the deal was done?
No.actually he’s spending money to support your favorite elected officials right here in the city.
Doomie, yes I think he did.
I always wondered if the sell-off was actually a preemptive attempt to liquidate in anticipation of an eminent closing. You fetch much higher prices when the merchandise isn’t “everything must go.”
Rockwell’s illustrations are nostalgia, hardly “art”
They are paintings and their worth a fortune, you ignorant man.
They are worth as much as somebody would pay for them. Considering someone just paid $120k for a banana taped to the wall, its clear the worth of “art” is subjective. While I appreciate Rockwell’s individual story, his art has the appeal of Thomas Kinkade’s for me.
Some of Rockwell’s work is poignant commentary but the majority is quaint silliness that whitewashes the “glory days” of some bygone prosperity that never really existed.
Fake news. It did exist and he painted it. Back when America was great, except for discrimination. Other than that, it was a great time to live. In fact, the post WWII year up through 69, when I watched a man Walk on the moon, was America’s heyday. Have you any idea how many Rockwell’s the museum sold and for how much?
Except for that little ole hiccup of “discrimination”.
I’d pay more for a velvet print of Elvis or dogs playing cards.
You could also beat your wife and kids when you were drunk when we were great.
Berkshire Museum Rockwell Sales:
“Shaftsbury Blacksmith Shop for $7 million.
https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/rockwells-blacksmiths-boy-fetches-7-million-at-auction,540373?
Not sure about Shuffleton’s Barbershop, but I am sure of this Shakes – you have no idea what you’re talking about.
Sorry, my art appreciation isn’t grounded in sales price.
@Tellitlikeitis:
Thumbs up! Rockwell is a great artist, and I feel that his life in the Berkshires elevates us. That is why I feel the Museum’s sale as an insult. The shrug of the Museum leadership to the museum community and our local was the last insult in a growing wave of idiocy. Rockwell and his family have suffered enough abuse at the hands of the Rockwell Museum and the Berkshire Museum. Now we get to eat the humble oats as other museums happily acquire that which we have lost.
Imagine this: You get a ticket to Brussels, but there are no Rembrandts to be seen. That’s Pittsfield today.
Or you could go to the Rockwell museum…
One look at his original and Rockwell will win you over as to his art.
@Shakes,
Norman Rockwell’s work is even better than he would give himself credit for. Permit me to explain why.
When was the last time you stood before a Rembrant, even the decent ‘could be’ that hangs at the Clark? Illustration and ‘cartooning’ are the underlying properties of the features of classical art. Can you imagine Da Vinci or Michelangelo saying “You are cartooning you idiot!” Their works, like those of icons concurrently in production, are cartoonic.
iShakes, f it makes you feel better, Mr. Rockwell was reported to feel great inferiority and anxiety when he stood before a Rembrant (who was a second rate artist if you put him next to Ambassador P.P. Rubens.) I call upon my experience at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the first of its kind under Thomas Eakins to admit women to nude male drawing curricula, for my knowledge of Norman Rockwell’s self-assessment of his own work.
Rockwell is a great artist, and his works will be forever missed by those who are moved by the visual experience.
LEV
Well stated. I, too, share an admiration for Rockwell’s genius. Great point about cartooning as the basis of all classical art. I’m also a fans of Peter Paul Reubens and Watteau. Masters of art.
Cartooning, (forget about Calvin & Hobbes – think schema) is the crystallization of visual knowledge.
Excellent artists – all, Dan. I wonder what Shakes thinks.
LEVITAN
I would love to pursue this discussion of art. Might be a fun column to write.
Yes, there is a possibility. How do two firecrackers pull this off?
I’m sure you boomers will figure it out just fine. I don’t care for Rockwell’s trash. I’m not a big fan of Dutch masters. We all have our opinions.
when was the last time you clowns went to the Pittsfield museum just to admire these caricatures you claim as priceless treasures and regionally defining artifacts? They were not essential to the museum’s missions, only your contrived indignation.
SHAKES
What art and artists DO you like, if any.
Clearly, from his Socratic stance, he must be a devotee of Polycleitus and Piero Della Francesca. He must object to the material appeal of Dutch spatial mastery.
I like plenty of art. I routinely visit fine and modern museums all over the country. The visits are a highlight of my personal and business trips. I do believe there are some very important conversations resulting from Rockwell’s work including social issues of his times, his homoerotic tendencies, and mental health struggles, just don’t enjoy his style and technique.
“Plenty of art.” You paint with a broad brushstroke. Can you be more specific? The “social issues” regarding Rockwell sound weirdly derivative, a “pussycat” kind of discussion that hardly any well-adjusted person would want to (or need to) have. While we’re on this category, I would recommend to you and all Kenneth Clark’s great TV series (PBS) CIVILIZATION. One could watch each of the 13 parts one a day for the next two decades and learn something new each day. It is THAT good.
Unless and until the museum gives a full accounting of its finances and opens its books to public, no one should go there, or donate a plug nickel. This is part of a plan to get Kapanski cash matching money for a sewer line. Rockwell rolling over in his grave.
Rockwell heirs are dumb. Art should have gone back to the estate. dum – drums. The Museum has programs that benefit outside Pittsfield kids and adults,trust me. Surprised the Stooge hasn’t had this schill on his show.
The museum should close.
Articles of Impeachment:
1. We hate Trump.
2. We haterer Trump.
Solemn, very solemn.
Turnp Breaks Oath, Turnp disobeys congress. trump= Andrew Johnson. Trump saves his skin because republican scabs are too afraid of losing their seat at the swamp trough.
I believe the Mayor should resign immediately. One Berkshires should be disbanded
TDS
Fox news is reporting exactly that.
Weak and weaker, but read them here:
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/articles-of-impeachment-trump-abuse-obstruction-full-text-pdf-080185?cid=impch_m
And how about that IG report? Steele Dossier exactly what a lot of us have been saying for a long time–a Clinton Crime Foundation political hit job. But there are still some in here who believe the thing?
US attorney John Durham will have another shoe or two to drop with his own report–he can look where the IG couldn’t.
Senate trial should be a blast.
Please America look at anything but the Trump crime.Republicans are going to let himoff the hook
America is looking at these crimes and moderate democrats, Independents are also watching and even they are saying, WTF. The only ones eating the Ham Sandwich are the ones who want him impeached just because. If Trump is re-elected the Democrats have only themselves to blame.
TDS
Trump said announce publicity that you the Ukraine are investigating Vice Presidents son Hunter for taking a 50k a month job at the energy company. They will get the 400 million released and a White House Visit .Word that this was happening got back to Trump so the 400 mil was release snd Trump started his “there was no quid pro quo” story.It is a very simple crime.The coverup to obstruct this investigation makes me wonder how stupid cant we get?We will find out.
Turn off the Trump channel.
TSC:
No, the Democrats walked away from both impeachment and their election promises. The Republicans were completely cut out of the so called impeachment. Democrats walked away first from their promise to the nation: Good Legislation. Now, they walk away from bribery, Quid Pro Quo, Collusion and extortion. All they have is the complaint that the Executive branch appealed to the Judiciary Branch prior to responding to a partisan ‘subpoena’.
I wonder how Democrats in Trump districts will explain their ‘I go along to get along’ vote against impeachment next year.
Turn off Fox News
Turn on your brain, TSC!
December 10th 2019 articles of impeachment will go to the United States Senate.Now we see if America is great or are we puppets of Putins crime family.
The School Committee,
No, The Articles go to the House. I put this above, but this post belongs here, with some flesh and needed revision.
Wow! Trump was (yet to be possibly) impeached! Not for bribery, pissing off liberal second rate constitutional law professors, collusion, or quid pro quo (focus studies didn’t respond to latin accusations.) He was impeached on Impeachment Light charges. What is the main complaint? He did not appear before Congress without a lawyer but instead declared executive privilege to be settled by the court. He appealed to the Judiciary which is his right.
The whistleblower has fled. Even Pelosi has scurried off to wrapping up the President’s bills and pretending that she’s been working on the People’s business all this time.
“Impeachment lite.” Less filling. Tastes awful.
Yes. And it will contaminate future batches for generations.
Kind of like impeaching a President for lying about sex. Pretty dumb.
Agree. But this one is worse for lack of fair judicial process. This process featured things like withholding names of witnesses, refusal to permit opposition to present witnesses, hostile witnesses permitted to both testify and cross examine, withholding information (8,000 pages) until 24 hours before Judiciary Hearings, refusal to schedule Republican hearings. And total lack of bipartisanship.
No court in this nation would tolerate any of the above abuses of power. Welcome to the New Democratic Party, the Party of McCarthyism. All they need is a blank piece of paper, a non-warranted wiretap, and a slander to nail you.
Impeachment does not require a fair judicial process. In the end, there will be a vote in the Senate, which will not convict Turnip on the articles of impeachment. In the meantime the Senate’s nonfeasance on duly passed legislation from the House has wasted bipartisan support on a variety of progressive energies and national improvements. The shame is, both the political parties are taking from the working class of this country and impeachment is just a snowstorm to hide it. Both sides are colluding against us and that is the real conspiracy.
LEVITAN
The Democrats held hearings that more resembled a Moscow show trial. All will be corrected in the Senate.
Moscow certainly had alot to do with it.Trump never figured out that private illegal desls will get you impeached when your President of the United States but dont you guys worry as he will go free to comeback and make America in his eyes again.