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IS THERE MORE TO THE MATTOON RESIGNATION THAN MEETS THE EYE? COULD BE, COULD BE, BUT THEN AGAIN … plus … EGAD! ANOTHER SNOW STORM VISITS AS CITY HALL, SCHOOL DEPARTMENT ACT MATURELY (or “BRING OUT THE NAPOLEON HATS”)

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By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013) — Happy St. Joseph’s feast day to you! We thought we emptied the notebook yesterday, but there were a few other items left over from Quick Hits and Hot Licks. Please be so kind as to allow THE PLANET to share them with you.

MATTOON RESIGNATION STORY: MORE TO IT THAT MEETS THE EYE?

We present a bit of amplification on the Donna Mattoon resignation post from yesterday. THE PLANET had that information before anyone else, last week, in fact. We received word from a good source, good enough to go with after we heard a similar tale from a second source, this one from within city hall. Under usual circumstances, we would have run with the story immediately, and in cyberspace, immediately means just that. This time, however, we decided to wait until Mattoon confirmed. We sent her not one but two requests for comment. In other words, THE PLANET played it their way. As with everything we do, we had a reason.

Playing It Their Way

Politicians, including the corner office, frequently complain that we run with items without their input, so we decided to give them the chance. We often do, not because we need it for the story but as professional courtesy. For THE PLANET, it was a win-win situation. If Mattoon had gotten back to us in a timely way, we would have that information. If she ignored our request, we would confirm what we know to be true that a handful of others find it hard to believe. In fact, we had a small wager on this, and in light of Mattoon’s “I’m not here” act, THE PLANET shall be enjoying our spoils having won the bet. It was with a  Household Name in city politics, but we can’t tell you who.

“Playing it their way” cost us the scoop as we knew it would, since the Boring Broadsheet had it on Sunday, but it was worth it.  In fact, in this situation, we wanted them to have it. Not hard to see how that worked. The mayor’s office would rather have a “friendly” medium gloss over the story. As soon as THE PLANET started poking around, we predicted Mattoon’s mad rush to the BB. It doesn’t get friendlier than the BB, which too often loves its “news” spoon fed from politicians, PR people, and others with a pitch and a dog in the fight.

Yesterday, Mattoon finally responded, tersely, to our second request for comment, saying only: “I received your original message on Friday night at 8:23. By then I was long gone from City Hall and in NY for the weekend. Just seeing both now.” In her mind, that is enough to be able to technically say, “See, I answered the call.” And what, we ask? The Internet doesn’t work between NYC and the Fortress of Solitude?  Her excuse doesn’t wash. That brief few words comprised the full extent of her comment on our several questions concerning her surprise exit.  She didn’t actually confirm the resignation one way or the other and didn’t share any other information. Guess she showed us! The funny thing is, we had almost all of it anyway.

Public officials acting with power on behalf of citizens and being paid by those same citizens have a personal, professional, and moral responsibility to respond to the press honestly, fully, completely, and in a timely way. When they regularly do not do so, but cherry pick the opportunities, it is a near-certain sign that they’re hiding something. That’s been our experience going back to 1975, when we first got our hands on a typewriter in a real, honest-to-goodness newsroom. It’s been like that ever since. In the Poconos, we ran up against and covered organized crime. We got to know some of the Northeast “players,” and let us tell you: The Tony Sopranos were often more responsible in this regard than the duly elected public officials.

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

THE PLANET handled the story in this manner to point out the game they like to play with us and other media that has the audacity to question, probe, and follow up. Carrying over journalism protocols to the web changes the nature not only of how we get information but also greatly changes the time clock. Because anyone with internet access is a potential source, we literally have “spies” in every office of the city and most in Berkshire County. Over more than a score of years covering Pittsfield and Berkshire County, we have built up a huge Rolodex of sources. The presence of iPhones, iPods, iPads and the like has expanded our source base incredibly.

That, our dear friends, is the biggest change in the way stories find the sunshine. Back in the print days, all a public official had to do was control the commercial media. In Pittsfield, that meant controlling The Boring Broadsheet. At one time, when the paper was the Berkshire Eagle, independently owned, and a bit feisty, that was a challenge. After Media News Group bought the Eagle at a fire sale in 1995 and ran the paper into bankruptcy (it’s now owned by a holding company), controlling the local daily became a piece of angel food. Then, local radio eviscerated the broadcast newsrooms. The GOB had what it wanted and what all dictators have craved: control of the press. Today, however, in cyberspace, they can’t control the flow of information. All it needed was an outlet, legitimate by pedigree and journalistic chops and fearless in its search for truth. All it needed was THE PLANET.

It was a match made under the pearly gates. Today, anyone with a smart phone in any city office can shoot up information, and they often do. They don’t want their names used, of course, and we have NEVER burned a source. That assurance of protection has long been one of our sacred trusts with sources. Thus, we found our niche as a crusader a la Captain Midnight, Batman, the Lone Ranger, and any other rogue crime fighter you wish to name. That’s why we enjoy our little references to this type of comic-book black-and-white approach to justice, such as the “Fortress of Solitude” and the “Secret Squadron.”

In running with the news in such a manner, we have found our niche. THE PLANET has never advertised. We’ve relied on word of mouth, a means of proliferation more adept than the viral nature of cyberspace itself. Our daily audience amounts to several thousand hits, with a large number of unique hits. By any measure, we could be seeking and finding advertising, but we presently do not run THE PLANET as a commercial medium. At some point in the future, that may change, but for now, it remains this way. We have made our money. We have much more interest in a different kind of pay … and payback.

Public Officials Slow to Catch On

We receive an incredible amount of intelligence, tips, dropped dimes and the like. Often, we can verify a story in lighting speed, far faster than the subjects of the story tend to operate. It’s amazing, though: Public officials — politicians, especially — have not caught on to how the web operates as a news medium. They tend to operate as if Abe Michelson is still wearing his green eyeshade sitting behind his manual Underwood and smoking cigars back in the day when print was king and you could smoke in the newsroom.

Mattoon’s clumsy handing of our requests also points out how naive she can be for someone with a media background. She apparently believed that if she did not respond to us, the story could be “controlled.” Her actions also made it sound like she has something to hide — that

* perhaps she didn’t leave the city hall position of her own accord or,

* realizing that in 14 and a half months, her boss hasn’t exactly lit the city in fire, she needed to jump ship and fast.

* Or could it be that, desperate to leave a sinking ship, she called her old boss at IBM and asked for job back?

* Or has there been a falling out of some sort between the two branches of the Wojtkowski Klan, Branch Bianchi and Branch Bowler?

We don’t know, we don’t care, and we would not assert any of these scenarios as fact — we only point out that they have been floated within and without city hall with the implication of truth.

At minimum, it would appear to be an accurate statement to say that Mattoon’s resignation isn’t exactly as she presented it to the BB. That’s all we care to say about this — for now, anyway.

—————————————————————————

STORM UGLOO, ULOO, ULALUME … WHATEVER

Gosh. Berkshire County got a few inches of snow overnight. What shall we do? Anxiety. Another sleepless night. Nervousness, fright, trepidation, consternation, perturbation, flap, fluster, cold sweat, swivet, and tizzy.

In Pittsfield, Mayor Bianchi and his depeartment heads met in the War Room, called in the National Guard, and ordered anyone seen on the streets between 10 p.m. and “whenever” to be arrested and hauled into a secret basement room at city hall. There offenders will sit under McDonald french fry lights while Kathleen Amuso and Kathy Yon read from the minutes of school committee meetings going back 10 years.

Yes, our dear friends, with the advent of (egad!) a winter snow shower, panic and hand-wringing set in at city hall and the school department yesterday, overnight, and today.

* Mayor Bianchi was seen watching The Caine Mutiny strawberry scene over and over again while eating sand.

* Police Chief Mike Wynn could be heard in his office singing “Hava Nagila.” He left word that under no circumstances could he be disturbed, unless it was a deli delivery boy dropping off lox and bagels — only when Wynn orders it, he wants locks instead of lox. Can’t have enough security, you see.

* Meanwhile, interim school department super Gordon Noseworthy was insisting his name was “Nicholas,” that he was from Medina, Spain, and that he was his own father. His assistant, adjunct, associate, and adolescent superintendents tried to disabuse Noseworthy of his fantastic notions, chanting, “It’s for The Children, for The Children, for The Children.”

* Finally, at the DPW, an order had been put in for the Collected Speeches of Nikita Khrushchev”— all 27 volumes. When the volumes came in, they were fed into the Heap Big Red Magic Pothole Machine while a secretary played a tape recording of John Barrett laughing hysterically.

Aren’t you as glad as THE PLANET to know that the city of Pittsfield can handle winter snow the way adults do, with soberness, no nonsense, and no big deal?

See, they return; ah, see the tentative

Movements, and the slow feet,

The trouble in the pace and the uncertain

Wavering!

See, they return, one, and by one,

With fear, as half-awakened;

As if the snow should hesitate

And murmur in the wind,

And half turn back. — from The Return by Ezra Pound

————————————————————————-

“Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast / In a field I looked into going past / And the ground covered almost smooth in snow, but a few weeds and stubble showing last.”Robert Frost

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

 

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In the know
In the know
11 years ago

Dan you can spin it any way you want. You got scooped by The Eagle! That just kills you doesn’t it?

AMBROSE
AMBROSE
Reply to  In the know
11 years ago

Sturgeon reported first on his show, wasn’t everybody listening?

Blind Justice
Blind Justice
11 years ago

Dear Dan,

Snow was a fun thing when I was a child: Snowballs, snow forts, snowshoes, skis, “bumpering” cars (not approved), etc….

The Nanny State has taken over in collusion with HYSTERICAL mass media. We even have “martial law” declared without ANY precipitation.

Is that even LEGAL?

Best,

Blinded by an inch of snow…….

Mike Ward
Mike Ward
Reply to  Blind Justice
11 years ago

They don’t make bumpers like they used to.

Blind Justice
Blind Justice
Reply to  danvalenti
11 years ago

And Dan,

I forgot snowmen.

Or would it have to be PC snowpeople now? And gender neutral snowmonsters?

Scott
Scott
11 years ago

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so little snow growing up here…

tito
tito
11 years ago

Deacon Dan: The Charter Review Committee has hit a fork in the road, this committee wants to have an all inclusive up or down vote, it will not work.

dusty
dusty
Reply to  tito
11 years ago

Something tells me the the same people who designed the Civic Authority are working in the shadows on the Charter Review.

bobbyd
bobbyd
11 years ago

I’m think DV should take a page out of Giorgione A. Tsoukalis’s book. At least once in every post he should use the phrase, “As ancient astronaut theorists contend…” It could lend a much needed air of legitimacy and credibility.

Relax
Relax
11 years ago

Dan,

You’ve got to be kidding with this so-called story. If you had a story about Mattoon, you would have run a story about Mattoon. Your entire post amounts to nothing more than narcissistic, self-justification for not running a story you obviously wanted to run. Indeed, you write about yourself as much as you write about the topic’s you’re covering. There’s no need to keep giving readers your resume.

Mattoon is leaving to be closer to her family. She’s a widow. Tom Bowler is her brother. Perhaps you just take this story at face value, yes?

And, could you please confirm your source for your claim that your “daily audience amounts to several thousand hits, with a large number of unique hits….” What exactly is a “large number”? Compare to what? Several means at least 3, so are you claiming that your site receives at least 3,000 hits per day? Is your data independently confirmed, and if so, how is it confirmed? According to trafficestimate.com, there is not enough data about your site to provide a true number of visitors and hits. And, according to an iBerkshires article last year, your site receives only an average of 15 readers per day. Also, your site is ranked 5,917,207, a far cry from the 2,397,097 rank you claim without support.

It would behoove you to clear up these discrepancies.

Here is the iBerkshires article from June 2012:

http://www.iberkshires.com/story/41668/Local-Blogger-Complies-With-Court-Order-to-Remove-Nilan-Content.html

In the know
In the know
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Relax you hit the nail on the head The “Planuts” will all come to Dans defense , but we all know the truth hurts! Great response !

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
Reply to  In the know
11 years ago

Indeed, in my opinion, truer words could not be said ‘ The Truth Does Hurt’ especially when you are In The Know. Great Response – Outstanding response, could not agree with you more, you seem so wise and ‘ in the know’

bobbyd
bobbyd
Reply to  Pittsfield Pete
11 years ago

Tongue firmly planted in cheek and nose planted so far up …

Never mind.

ambrose
ambrose
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Unique is an absolute. One of a kind. each of these hits he’s refering to are totally different than any other and always will be

Scott
Scott
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Site placement and ranking have a couple factors. Relevance and most importantly optimization. Whoever owns the server that hosts planetvalenti.com knows exactly how many page visits this site gets a day and how the site was discovered through the search engine.

Rivetor
Rivetor
11 years ago

DV I see you got the GOB rattled with your story today! Great job! When I see Relax and the others bashing you, I know you hit a nerve. That’s why we love your site. In the office, its the topic of the day and I mean that.

Donald
Donald
Reply to  Rivetor
11 years ago

Riv
Interesting take on Relax’s post. I just thought he was calling out Dan for clearly being an egomaniac and inflating his traffic reporting (check the numbers for yourself). How could I be so silly to forget it’s all about the GOBs.

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
Reply to  danvalenti
11 years ago

Yeah Donald! It’s OK, it happens to us all on occasion! After all the GOB are just boogeymen and are not real. It’s all just a figment of the silly paranoid Planet Folk – Go back to sleep son, all is will, all is well.

Relax
Relax
Reply to  danvalenti
11 years ago

Dan,

It doesn’t drive my crazy, I just don’t buy it. Quite frankly, you should be willing to have your traffic monitored by a third party site. That you will not share your numbers should tell any reasonable reader that you’re cooking your books. If I were you, I’d using all manner of tools to drive traffic to a site: Google Analytics, etc.

And, are you calling the iBerkshires article idiotic? They based their reporting on spysitetraffic.com.

Scott
Scott
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Relax with all due respect those things cost money. Maybe Dan is relying on word of mouth. With no advertisers this whole thing is done on funds out of his pocket.

Dan, I can fix you up with a guy who is an amazing optimizer. See http://www.justtheberkshires.com there is a “contact us” link to get connected. In the advertising world this site is cheap. I’ve gotten huge returns on my investment there. Unbelievable returns if I typed it here they’d all call me a liar too. Tell’em Scott sent ya!

Joe Pinhead
Joe Pinhead
Reply to  Scott
11 years ago

HUH? Ok color me crazy here but I’m missing something here, The Planet has not had his hand out for taxpayer monies, nor has the Planet asked for advertising revenue or anything else from anyone besides a bit of time and some thought.
Every bloggist or columnist is free to opine or pontificate on any subject he or she feels like. If you don’t like it do what many have done to the boring broadsheet, cancel your subscription.
I find it entertaining and more than a bit telling that people in the know are concerned about the numbers behind the planet but didn’t or don’t care about the numbers behind say Armitage; a man handed millions but no one checked his tax filings or lack thereof. I won’t even mention his Peabody and Sherman 3rd grade science fair project that evidently mystified the then leadership of the City. How about telling us the number of children who get a poor education today? You want to track the number of hits to the planet? Really whats the number of people who have suffered from carcinogens in the area? And what have those in the know done to stop the spread of those carcinogens? What is the true number of either under or unemployed in the City? County? And what are those in the know doing to change that? Monitoring the number of hits to a website? Phew, I will sleep so much better tonight .
The whole issue is simple, the Planet scares the daylights out of you, and anyone can see that if your number of 15 people is correct you wouldn’t care one bit the people in the know have shown the people paying the bills for some time they don’t care about what they do only how it’s perceived.
Today’s story scared you not because of the resignation of Bowlers sister what has you up at night is the fact anyone anywhere can and does record and or report the shenanigans that used to be covered up by the Boring Broadsheet. all those in the know want to hear is,Yes Mr. Emperor those are the nicest clothes ever seen.

Just sayin

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Relax

I am sorry , but we must take a break right now from your questions. Also, we can’t take any of your questions on numbers unless you submit them in advance to the Planet.

By the way, this may help you relax a bit, as I am sure your dispute on the difference between Dan’s number of hits and your accounting of his daily hits is purely due to the different numerical counting systems that each of your computers use.
Try to relax, Mr . Relax. , there is nothing going on here but the truth being told. So why fret your little head about it. All will be well, all will be well.

Relax
Relax
Reply to  Pittsfield Pete
11 years ago

What bothers me is the constant puffery. Dan always mentions what he’s done and where he’s been. Now hhe laughably claims his site has had millions of hits. Such a claim is not credible, and bespeaks a considerable insecurity not only in the scope of his readership, but also in the impact of his so-called journalism. No journalist pens a story about what might have happened and whines about getting scooped by a newspaper. If the Planet stands for truth then it would publish the source of its numbers, and not simply tell us to take his word for it.

Relax
Relax
Reply to  Pittsfield Pete
11 years ago

That’s just it: numbers are numbers. It is simply not credible that your site has received millions of hits. Is spysitetraffic.com wrong? It’s like Karl Rove saying he had “the math.”

And, I’m no GOB. I do not work in Pittsfield, and I am not affiliated with any politician. I simply found your Mattoon piece ridiculous, and your numbers not credible.

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
Reply to  Relax
11 years ago

Hey Dan

I absolutely DEMAND an accounting of your site when

1. You are a line item on the city budget
2. You raise property taxes to support your site
3. Aimlessly throw millions of tax dollars on foolish projects
4. Have endless committee meetings with no result
5. Plan on building yourself a house for free with slave labor (remember, slavery was abolished)
6. Gain admission to the GOB club in town

Till then have a ball Dan! And keep cookin’ up a storm!

tito
tito
11 years ago

This site easily gets 3,000 hits a day!

In the know
In the know
Reply to  tito
11 years ago

Tito. Can I get some of that stuff your smoking?

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
Reply to  In the know
11 years ago

Mr. In The Know has just implicated himself as the lead suspect. After all, by his own admission he ‘ is in the know’ for whatever it is worth Mr. In The Know, it is suggested you go hang out with Mr. bobbyb and Mr Relax , they seem to share your same apolypitic fear of Plant Folk being ‘in the know’. Take a page out of Relax’s book and chill- Ain’t nothin going on here but the truth.

Just my opinion!

bobbyd
bobbyd
Reply to  Pittsfield Pete
11 years ago

You mistake disdain for fear.

Believe it or not, I am almost certain that we share many of the same political proclivities. However, there are psychological and philosophical bents required to engage in the kind of thinking most frequently evidenced here, which I do not share.

What I have not decided is whether DV actually shares that way of thinking or if he simply preys on those who do in order to sate an unmet need for attention and approval.

As usual, YMMV.

Italia
Italia
11 years ago

Can anyone tell me why the front door of the old Madonna Hall is locked to all except employees? I went to the RMV and a sign on the front door read employees only. All others have to go to the back door. I was told that an”incident” happened a short time ago and that is why no one can enter the front door.

Who authorized this, the city police or the state? If someone wants to create and “incident” what difference does it make what door he enters?

FPR
FPR
11 years ago

Dan, sitting back and watching whats going here is extremely interesting. Yes, you definitely struck a nerve today.

If you do decide to throw your hat in the ring for mayor, then watch the GOB attacks on you. The crucifixion of Terry Kinnas will pale in comparison.

The fact that you accept no advertising makes you totally free to express yourself and you do it quite well. You got em up against the ropes today and boy are they nervous.

Well done!

Pittsfield Pete
Pittsfield Pete
11 years ago

Can anyone ‘in the know’ tell me if the Red Sox will win the World Series this year? I am submitting this question to you all with advance notice so some one might get back to me before July.

dusty
dusty
11 years ago

What is the cutoff date for mayoral candidates to announce? And who are the likely gob wannabees soon to be trotted out for review?

Will they want to tear down Waconah park again?

Ron Kitterman
Ron Kitterman
11 years ago

I don’t get it, the Eagle has been overstating their circulation numbers for years, Rush Limbaugh has been high on his numbers for years, especially after a controversy like the Sandra Fluck thing, Don Imus has a draw or he wouldn’t be back on the air after this nappy headed comments. Does Dan puff his numbers ? Yeah, probably why not. 3,000, 300, 15 a day, 10,000- If you don’t click on or do what difference does it make how many others are clicking on the Planet ?

Scott
Scott
Reply to  Ron Kitterman
11 years ago

Ron the difference when the Eagle and others falsify site hits is criminal seeing how they take advertising dollars from people. Where is the outrage there???

Dan, optimization is key. When I google “news Pittsfield Ma” after four pages of not seeing you I gave up. I was purposely looking people just looking for news will usually not go past page one plus they don’t have to because iBerkshire and the Berkshire Eagle are there. I also googled “news Berkshires, Ma” You should talk to Ron getting you listed on page one might be a game changer and as I said for the money it’s worth it. The Eagle should be engaged in information warfare I’d even be willing to help contribute anyone else on board???

Dave
Dave
11 years ago

“Consider This”- You are all irrelevant until you are on PCTV

If it wasn’t already done, I would sit in a bathtub and speak my mind!!!!!!