Archive | December, 2010
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** UPDATED: A MANIFESTO OF MEDIA** THE PLANET SPURS DAWNING OF A NEW DAY IN BERKSHIRE COUNTY MEDIA. IS IT JOURNALISM? YOU BETCHA, AND BLOGGING TO B

BY DAN VALENTI WE HAVE ADDED TO THIS STORY TO EXPLORE THE MOST SERIOUS STORY OF OUT TIME: THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL MEDIA IN COVERING THE NEWS, PEOPLE, AND EVENTS OF OUR TIME. THE ESTABLISHMENT MEDIA HAS LET THE PEOPLE DOWN. THIS SITE, PLANETVALENTI.COM, HAS COME TO THE RESCUE. WE HAVE THE AUDACITY TO […]

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**UPDATED** A SUZUKI SCROOGE: BTF’s HILL TAKES DICKENS’ “CHRISTMAS CAROL” TO THE TOP

A Berkshire Theatre Festival production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens. Adapted by Eric Hill. Directed by Eric Hill and E.Gray Simons. Starring Eric Hill as Ebenezer Scrooge. Plays Dec. 11-30, 2010, at the Unicorn Theater on the BTF campus in Stockbridge, Mass. Go to the BTF website for remaining performances and times (www.berkshiretheatre.org.). […]

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**UPDATED FOR SUNDAY** DON’T RENAME WAHCONAH PARK, “DID YA’ HEAR THAT …” AND OTHER FOOD FOR THOUGHT

BY DAN VALENTI !!UPDATE!! ITEM: RENAMING WAHCONAH PARK There have been many reasonable suggestions offered as an alternative to renaming beloved Wahconah Park after a former politician and good guy. The best have been in ancillary naming alternatives. There are many “naming” opportunities at the park: one post suggested naming the bleachers after Paul Dowd. […]

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**UPDATED** WATER ON THE BRAIN: ICE, RIVER, and INTERPRINT

BY DAN VALENTI Water, water everywhere, and today, my good friends, the H2O flows freely. Drinks are on THE PLANET. Specifically, water turns up three times in our latest episode of “As Pittsfield Turns”: (1) An ice warning from the Pittsfield Police and Fire departments, (2) another “company” fined by environmental authorities for polluting the […]

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THE EPA ON INTERPRINT: FIVE YEARS OPERATING WITHOUT THE PROPER PERMITS. SO HOW MANY TONS OF POLLUTANTS WERE RELEASED IN THAT TIME IN THE CITY OF PITTSFIELD, and OTHER QUESTIONS

BY DAN VALENTI In a story that this website broke late last night, the U.S. Environmental Agency has fined the Interprint, a Pittsfield-based printing company, an amount that could reach $385,000. The EPA ruled against Interprint for building its new facility on Rt. 41 near the Richmond line without obtaining the permits required under the […]

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BULLETIN!! EXCLUSIVE TO THE PLANET!! EPA FINES INTERPRINT $385,000…!! DOWNTOWN, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, THE NEW JOURNALISM, & “VALENTI, BLOGGER”

BY DAN VALENTI WE INTERRUPT OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULE POST TO BRING YOU THIS BREAKING STORY. WE WILL HAVE MORE TOMORROW: THE PLANET has learned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Pittsfield business Interprint $80,000 and has ordered the company to pay $305,000 to replace old wood stoves in western Massachusetts. The EPA is […]

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A DOWNTOWN SHOW, plus, MORE OF WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK

BY DAN VALENTI ——————————————————————————————————— THE PLANET will leave this story as the lead for one more day, since the number viewing continues to go up (a notable spike in the last couple of days). As a way of update, we attempted to share a link for the broadcast of this morning’s “Good Morning, Pittsfield” hosted […]

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GUEST WRITER JOSH LAYS OUT AN RX FOR DOWNTOWN, plus, TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR MORE DOWNTOWN STORIES THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW

EDITOR’S NOTE — We present the coveted first spot in today’s posting to JOSH, a 22-year-old who has posted some of the best reaction and shared some of the most practical ideas for advancing the interests of downtown Pittsfield. JOSH posted the following “story” yesterday a a reaction to THE PLANET’s continuing dissection of the […]

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LEAVE WIKILEAKS ALONE, plus DOWNTOWN MONDAY and NUCIFORO vs. OLVER: LET ANDY BREATHE, WILL YA?

BY DAN VALENTI A Further Downtown Note THE PLANET has received more information from the inside on downtown activity and developments. We will pass it along in the interests of furthering the discussion. Our intelligence will spur more debate, raise more feather, and garner more agreement. The info was passed along from several sources, and […]

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ONE SIMPLE QUESTION HOLDS THE KEY TO THE FATE OF DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD. QUESTION IS, ‘DO YOU DARE TO HONESTLY ASK IT’?

BY DAN VALENTI Editor’s Note: We’ll add some pretty pictures later. Check back in tonight for that and more content. The subject of Downtown Pittsfield will not go away, judging by the reaction THE PLANET received to our previous two posts. In addition to the replies, we have had e-mails, in-person reaction, and other feedback. […]

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NORTH STREET: THE AVENUE OF SIGHS with a ‘RENAISSANCE’ IN BIG TROUBLE

Glad to see the Eagle  finish in second place on the news we broke at this website yesterday, about The Market closing its doors. Their last day will be Dec. 11. The upscale grocery store in the 400 block of North Street gave it a go with their own money, but it didn’t work. Left […]

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EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: THREE STORES TO CLOSE IN DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD

BY DAN VALENTI In a story we will continue to check, THE PLANET has learned of the imminent closings of three downtown businesses that have been used to proclaim the presence of a downtown “renaissance.” Most likely before the end of this month, although that is not certain, the Ferrin Gallery, Museum Facsimiles outlet store, […]

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