Archive | June, 2011
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QUICK HITS & FUNKY BITS: PROMGATE, TAX CHEATS, HATHAWAY FOR MAYOR?, & CITY TAXES ARE GOING UP 100% (IT’S NOT A JOKE)

By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 15, 2011) —Quick hits and funky bits: * PROMGATE — Funny how $10,000 of school money is stolen, drugs and booze are consumed inside of PHS, and the building is vandalized, and the apologists for this crime eagerly dismisses this as high school hijinx — you know, boys […]

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IS SARA HATHAWAY RUNNING FOR MAYOR? plus, COLONIALS RAINED OUT AFTER WIN IN NJ OPENER, and COLONIAL THEATRE-BTF MERGER OFFICIAL

By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 14, 2011) — After spending a couple of days in Perth Amboy, N.J., hardly the garden spot of the Garden State, The Planet finds it good to be back on terra more-or-lessa firma, noting with interest a new page on Facebook promoting a write-in for Sara Hathaway for […]

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GOBs are STILL IN THE GAME (AS LONG AS IT’S CROOKED), PLUS THE BORING BROADSHEET GOES 1-FOR-4

By DAN VALENTI GOBs and STICKY, SLIMY GOO (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 13, 2011) — Two quick pieces of circumstantial evidence that suggest that the GOBs are playing for keeps and that their stranglehold over Pittsfield public life — which has continued uninterrupted since Ann Wotjkowski’s tenure as mayor save for the two years of Sara […]

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PLAYING FIELD AT BELOVED WAHCONAH PARK NAMED FOR EX-SOX FARMHAND, PAUL DOWD; COMMENTARY: NAMING OF FIELD FOR A MAN WHO WANTED TO TEAR IT DOWN SMACKS OF SWAMP POLITICS

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, June 12, 2011) — Though inclement weather conditions prevented a doubleheader between the Pittsfield Colonials and the New York Federals from being played, it couldn’t spoil the party for about 500 family, friends, and supporters of former Pittsfield Red Sox pitcher and Berkshire County Jimmy Fund chapter founder […]

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PLANET ART REVIEW — BLUE SKY EXHIBIT AT ROCKWELL MUSEUM: 3D DIGITAL AGE MEETS VIRTUOSO ARTISTIC VISIONS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JUNE 11, 2011) — “But is it art”? This question has nagged, haunted, and harassed animators and commercial artists since doodlers began finding paying customers in the commercial world. From advertising slicks to lurid pulp magazine covers, illustration has ruffled the bow-tied high brows who wouldn’t […]

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POROUS ‘D’ AGAIN DOOMS COLONIALS; C’s LOSE HEARTBREAKER, 2-1, TO EXPANSION FEDERALS AT BWP

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (Pittsfield-Friday, June 10th, 2011) — You knew it was too good to be true. While the New York Federals lived up to their .208 team batting average on Friday night, Mike Petroski made the team’s 7.63 ERA seem irrelevant, shutting down the Pittsfield Colonials 2-1 before 728 fans on […]

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POUROUS ‘D’ AGAIN DOOMS COLONIALS; C’s DROP HEARTBREAKER, 2-1, to EXPANSION FEDERALS

By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports FEDERALS CLIP COLONIALS (PITTSFIELD, June 10, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials saw the New York Federals plate an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning as the Colonials fell to the Federals, 2-1. With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the eighth inning, […]

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PLANET EXCLUSIVE: RUBERTO DENIES HE’S LEAVING OFFICE PREMATURELY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING’s GOING ON; IS It with ‘OPPORTUNITY FUND’? , plus, COLUMBUS AVENUE NAME CHANGE: AFTERMATH OF THE WRECKAGE

By DAN VALENTI ADD 1 JUNE 9, 2011 For Ruberto, Does ‘Opportunity’ Knock? With respect to the rumors that Mayor Jimmy Ruberto will be leaving office before his term is up (see first posting from today, immediately below), The Planet has received information from a credible source that may shed light on the mayor’s tenuous […]

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‘CT’ PROPELS COLONIALS PAST TORNADOES, 6-4 at AMPED UP WAHCONAH PARK, plus: PLANET PRESENTS TWO ART EXCLUSIVES: PACKER & GORE “WOW” IN S&CO’s “Women of Will”, plus, 16 ARTISTS OPEN SHOW IN PITTSFIELD AT “THE LICH” FRIDAY JUNE 10

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI sports (PITTSFIELD, JUNE 8, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials have spent the past week looking for a hero late in games to push them over the edge and into victory. Wednesday morning, the C’s finally found one in Chris “CT” Torres. With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of […]

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BIG INNING, BAD ‘D’ PLAGUES COLONIALS AS TORNADOES ROMP AT WAHCONAH PARK, 11-5; PARONTO TAKES LOSS, DROPS to 0-3

By Josh Cutler PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, JUNE 7, 2011) — Despite a day off to recoup after a poor showing in Quebec against the Capitales, the Worcester Tornadoes spun into Pittsfield and beat the Colonials 11-5 before 473 fans at Historic Wahconah Park on Tuesday morning. Colonials’ Manager Jamie Keefe was not pleased with the […]

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THE DANCE IS OVER AT PROMGATE; PLANET LEARNS NEW STUNNER: PRINCIPAL AND VICE PRINCIPAL GAVE OFFICER QUETTI PERMISSION TO LET KIDS INTO PHS AFTER HOURS.

BY DAN VALENTI A Salute to D-Day Heroes (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 6 into 7, 2011) — On this 67th anniversary of D-Day, we pause and give thanks to the veterans of that campaign and all the battles of WWII. They aren’t called The Greatest Generation for nothing. They were our fathers and mothers. They […]

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TRUTH MAY BE ABSOLUTE BUT OUR UNDERSTANDING CAN ONLY BE TANGENTIAL. HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH? READ ON, THE AN APPELLATE COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF PRAYER IN GRADUATION SPEECH

By DAN VALENTI In our discussion of Truth, we said we would continue to pursue it as the highest goal of anyone who writes, speaks, or teaches. That being said, we must admit to only one definitive statement about Truth. On this good earth, it can only be perceived and known from a relative perspective. […]

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COLONIALS FALL to QUEBEC IN ROAD SERIES FINALE, 6-0

By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports (PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, Canada, June 5, 2011) —The Pittsfield Colonials were handcuffed by Quebec starter Matt Rusch, who pitched seven shutout innings as the Capitales took the series finale from Pittsfield 6-0. The Capitales got the initial runs of the game on the board in the second […]

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THE PLANET DOESN’T ENJOY BREAKING BAD NEWS, BUT WE WON’T SHY AWAY FROM TRUTH TELLING; ONLY THE STAUS QUO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT; PLUS, COLONIALS CLUB CAPITALES, 9-4 … WELCH HOMERS TWICE

By DAN VALENTI (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, June 4, 2011) — One of our commentators, Bizarro, brought up an interesting point when he disputed my statement made in connection with the young kid who may have severed his arm punching out a plate glass storefront on Union Street. I said I did not enjoy reporting on […]

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DEFENSE HURTS PITTSFIELD IN SETBACK AGAINST QUEBEC

By CHAD COOPER Special to PLANET VALENTI Sports (QUEBEC, JUNE 3-4, 2011) — The Pittsfield Colonials committed a season-high seven errors leading to five unearned Quebec Capitales runs as the Colonials fell to the Capitales 10-8. Trailing 1-0 heading into the second, the Colonials sent eight men to the plate in the frame, scoring three […]

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!!EXCLUSIVE!! POLICE CONFIRM MAYHEM ON NORTH and UNION STREETS. MAN, 18, MAY HAVE SEVERED ARM and WILL FACE CHARGES … plus, THE PLANET WAXES POETIC CUZ “THE SEASON” IS UPON US in the BERKSHIRES; COUNTRYFEST ALL DAY TOMORROW AT BWP, while BOBBY SWEET-SINGS THE COLONIAL JUNE 18

BY DAN VALENTI ADD 2 JUNE 3, 2011 POLICE CONFIRM NORTH STREET VIOLENCE; INJURED TEEN TO BE CHARGED Police Capt. John Mullen confirmed the incident first reported today on THE PLANET where a young man suffered “a severe laceration to his arm and lost a lot of blood” after smashing a plate glass window a5 […]

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