BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE THE WEEKEND EDITION DEC. 5-7, 2025) — A couple items to share as we head to the weekend. Embargo This: We’ve seen a lot of things in our writing career, but we’ve never seen a politician hold a press conference then tell (not ask) […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEDNESDAY DEC. 3, 2025) — THE PLANET hesitates to call the snow we received yesterday a “storm.” A couple degrees more and it would have been rain. As it stands, however, seeing that so many in New England have become weather wimps, panic predictably […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAY DEC. 1, 2026) — Today’s column involves the theme of “neglect.” In the first instance, THE PLANET presents a prime example from the hapless administration of Bitchfield’s Mayor Lumpy. In the second case, we have neglect on the part of the Beacon Hill/Golden […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (ED. NOTE: The reporting for this story was done primarily by the Boston Herald) (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE FRIDAY NOV. 28, 2025) — And now for another episode of “We Knew It Was Bad, But We Didn’t Know It Was THAT Bad,” a recurring soap opera of the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEDNESDAY NOV. 26, 2025) — First off, Happy Thanksgiving from THE PLANET to all of our readers and commentators. You might have missed it, but here’s the holiday notice posted by Mountain One bank (italics are THE PLANET’s): Please note the following change in […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAy NOV. 24, 2025) — On Saturday, THE PLANET enjoyed another local event in the ongoing sales and promotional slate for our most recent book, this on director Stanley Kubrick’s seminal film on the Vietnam War, Full Metal Jacket. The physical stops have been […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE THE WEEKEND EDITION NOV. 21-3) — Thoughts while peeling a grapefruit: — Meet THE PLANET!: This Saturday, Nov. 22 beginning at noon, THE PLANET will be at Barnes & Noble bookstore at Berkshire Crossing to sign books. Rumor is that Dan Valenti will make […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY [ED. NOTE: This column was written before the vote in the House of Representatives on release of the Epstein files. The House voted overwhelmingly to approve release of the Epstein Files. ] ———- ooo ———- (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEDNESDAY NOV. 19, 2025) — Periodically people, including those […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAY NOV. 17, 2025) — Subsequent to THE PLANET‘s coverage of the lawsuit Victoria May has filed against Peter Marchetti, Pittsfield Co-Op Bank, and two others, we found a general unfamiliarity of the trial process. To recap, THE PLANET reported a trial date set […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE THE WEEKEND EDITION NOV. 14-6, 2025) — Peter Marchetti has a date. No, it won’t be on The Dating Game, and Bob Eubanks won’t be anywhere in sight. Marchetti’s due in court on May 18, 2026. That’s his “dum-de dum-dum” trial by jury. To […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 11/12 — THE PLANET received this from the office of Berkshire County District Attorney Tim Shugrue: Pittsfield-This afternoon a second individual, Sergio Ponce (17 years old: Pittsfield), will be arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court for the October 26th murder of Brodie Slonski. The Defendant […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 11/6: THE PLANET received this information from the office of Berkshire County D. A. Tim Shugrue: Cheshire, MA- On Thursday evening, November 6th, Michael Alibozek ( 53 years old: of Adams, MA) was arrested by the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit and assisted by the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE THE WEEKEND EDITION, OCT. 31-NOV. 2, 2025) — In our previous column, we announced that our Right Honorable Good Friend Peter White had been selected town administrator in Adams. Well, the board ultimately went with Nick “The Quick” Caccamo. Bully for them! They made […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEDNESDAY OCT. 29, 2025) — How hard up is the town of Adams? This hard: They will soon be announcing Peter White — aka Bitchfield city council president, aka Voltron the Porkchop –their town administrator. That probably explains why THE PLANET observed town maintenance […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (ADD 1 10/27 p.m. 3:30 p.m.) — THE PLANET received this from the office of Berkshire County D.A. Tim Shugrue: On Sunday, October 26th, at approximately 6:14 p.m., Pittsfield Police responded to the area of 17 Parker Street, Pittsfield for a report of a single motor vehicle […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 24-6, 2025) — As the federal government shutdown passes the three-week mark, THE PLANET is still wondering if anyone has noticed? We saw our first sign yesterday at the post office, when Taylor Swift showed up on the face of […]
