BEAT’s Blog

Berkshire County resident Jim Bouton had an idea.  He would use private funds to renovate Wahconah Park. It wasn’t just a business venture.  It was motivated in part by his and his partner’s, Donald “Chip” Elitzer’s, sheer love of baseball.  Almost as soon as their organization, Wahconah Park Inc.,  had their plans drawn up they sought input from area environmental groups.  BEAT had some concerns, but clearly these were people who were listening and who wanted to do it right.

Enter the City of Pittsfield.  I firmly believe that the purpose of the current city government in Pittsfield is to take tax money and grant money and dole it out to a small number of friends for projects that often don’t make sense to people who have other ideas about what city government is supposed to be. Somehow the Wahconah Park Inc. project that the city frowned upon and disparaged was killed and then taken over by the city, and it is now all-important.  (For the full story on how Pittsfield discouraged Jim and Chip in favor of a more costly city-funded project I would suggest reading Jim’s book on the topic, Foul Ball.) 

Is the city’s project the same as that proposed by Jim and Chip?  BEAT doesn’t think so.  Many of the environmental safeguards are gone.  But some parts of the plan remain; notably the permits and plans that Wahconah Park Inc. had put so much time, effort, and money into.  How do we know?  The City of Pittsfield submitted the plans to the Conservation Commission as if they were their own and forgot to remove the Wahconah Park Inc. title from the plans.  BEAT (yes BEAT) called Jim Bouton and notified him. His partner Chip immediately sent a cease and desist order to the City. It reads in part, “Jim and I are the sole owners of the plans, designs, studies, estimates, and filings that these firms performed at our expense.  Neither the City nor any of its agents are authorized to possess or use any of these materials.  We hereby notify you that the City should cease and desist any such use, and return any and all materials to us as soon as possible.” Read more…