Letter: Constitutional Crisis

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To the Editor:

In his inaugural speech, the president invoked America in the late 19th century when political corruption was rampant, Jim Crow laws were enacted, and disparities in income and wealth soared. Since then, the daily barrage of presidential edicts have ranged from absurdity, recklessness, vindictiveness and most concerning lawlessness. His words and actions have sown seeds of uncertainty, anxiety and fear. Presidential governance has become the politics of chaos in an attempt to grab power. MAGA/Republican legislators in the House and Senate feign their responsibilities. Blind loyalty to the president is their number one priority.

The Constitution is the law of the land, the bedrock of our democratic state. However imperfect, it aspires to secure, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. Beggaring belief, we are currently witnessing a constitutional coup intent on circumventing the legislative and judicial branches. Laws, regulations, norms and protocols are being violated. Americans of all ilk, various organizations, Democratic legislators and the federal courts are attempting to check this presidential overreach.

Authoritarianism is defined as a political system which rejects democracy, the separation of powers, civil liberties, and the rule of law. The most recent remarks by the president, vice president, the billionaire aide-de-camp, and his MAGA minions indicate an attempt to undermine our system of government. These actors mean to overrule judicial review by our federal courts and ultimately our Supreme Court.

What to do? At this time, our duty as citizens is to become informed and active. Millions of Americans are becoming aware of this constitutional crisis at hand. People are following, joining and contributing to pro-democracy organizations at the local, state, and national level. It is incumbent upon all Americans to raise our voices, protest and vote to ensure that this great experiment, American Democracy, survives.

Antonio Pagliarulo
Dalton, Mass. 

 

 

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Wahconah Park Demo, Ice Rink

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission has OKed the demolition of Wahconah Park and and the installation of a temporary ice rink on the property. 

The property at 105 Wahconah St. has drawn attention for several years after the grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022. Planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option, and the park's front lawn is seen as a great place to site the new pop-up ice skating rink while baseball is paused. 

"From a higher level, the project's really two phases, and our goal is that phase one is this demolition phase, and we have a few goals that we want to meet as part of this step, and then the second step is to rehabilitate the park and to build new a new grandstand," James Scalise of SK Design explained on behalf of the city. 

"But we'd like these two phases to happen in series one immediately after the other." 

On Thursday, the ConCom issued orders of conditions for both city projects. 

Mayor Peter Marchetti received a final report from the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee last year recommending a $28.4 million rebuild of the grandstand and parking lot. In July, the Parks Commission voted to demolish the historic, crumbling grandstand and have the project team consider how to retain the electrical elements so that baseball can continue to be played. 

Last year, there was $18 million committed between grant funding and capital borrowing. 

This application approved only the demolition of the more than 100-year-old structure. Scalise explained that it establishes the reuse of the approved flood storage and storage created by the demolition, corrects the elevation benchmark, and corrects the wetland boundary. 

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