Tom’s Top 3 for 1/29: Vandalism Found At Porter Park After Snow Melts

Volunteers who built a new playground at Porter Park in Pittsfield a few months ago discovered this week that someone had vandalized the park. IBerkshires.com reports that when the snow melted earlier this week, volunteers who headed the Christopher Porter Memorial Park Fund and efforts to rebuild the park discovered three brand-new picnic tables had been flipped over and broken into pieces. Porter's wife initially reported that somebody had stolen the tables. But as the snow melted, the committee found the pieces scattered around the park. The committee members gathered people together and cleaned up much of the debris to make it safe for children that use the park. Chris Porter was well known in the community for his philanthropy and voluntarily maintaining the park. He was also well known by Patrons of his restaurant, Portsmitt’s Lakeway Restaurant, on Pecks Road. After he died in December of 2015, a committee formed to rename the park in his honor.

Possibility Of BRTA Strike Avoided After Cancelled Vote

A day after announcing a possible bus driver strike that would have brought to a halt all Berkshire Regional Transit Authority routes beginning Monday, BRTA administrator Robert Malnati said that all services would run as scheduled. The Berkshire Eagle reports that according Malnati, the BTRA was notified that a federal mediator became involved in the contract negotiations between the union representing BRTA bus drivers and Paratransit Management of the Berkshires. Malnati said that if the paratransit service drivers didn't accept the company's "Best and Final Offer" that was scheduled to be presented at a vote initially set for Sunday, all the BRTA drivers, including of fixed-route buses, would go on strike. The Paratransit buses are on-call buses offered to the disabled and the elderly in the Berkshires. Malnati however was notified on Saturday afternoon that the scheduled vote for Sunday was canceled and buses would operate as normal Monday. So, at least for now, a possible strike has been avoided.

Expiration Today For Injunction Preventing Museum Art Sale

An injunction preventing the Berkshire Museum from deaccessioning 40 works of art was due to expire today. The expiration date comes as the museum’s art sale reaches an important point. The Berkshire Eagle reports that the Attorney General’s Office was due to delivers the findings of its months-long investigation into the planned sale of 40 of the institution’s most valuable art-works today. State Attorney General Maura Healey’s team upon delivering its finding could build on its criticism of trustees with an indictment aimed at preventing auctions or they could simply give museum officials a lesson on their missteps in the public charities law. A Boston attorney that’s involved with the litigation has predicted that Healey will press to extend the injunction.