Archive | December, 2012
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QUICK HITS AND HOT LICKS LOOKS AT THE PITTSFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE, THE UEP, NOT-FOR-PROFITS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, and SCREEN PLAYS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2012) — Let’s close out 2012 with Quick Hits and Hot Licks, to help reduce the number of stories that are flying in a holding pattern over THE PLANET, seeking permission to land. Before that, though, THE PLANET wishes all of you a […]

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STICKER SHOCK IN THE BAY STATE SUPERMARKETS … TRAUMA OF NEWTOWN, UNFORTUNATELY, IS PART OF A RESPONDER’S JOB; INSURER DENIES EXTRA COVERAGE FOR OFFICERS, AND RIGHTLY SO

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2012) — You hate the government meddling into your business. We hate the government meddling in our business. But the politicians at the State House in Boston (85% Democrats, by the way) love it, as they did when they sent to […]

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SUE CARMEL’s BUDGET UPDATE TO COUNCIL FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE SPELLS OUT THE BAD NEWS, BUT AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE, MERCENARY LOYALIST, THAT BAD NEWS MEANS ‘THINGS LOOK GOOD’ … UPDATE QUANTIFIES ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH THE TAXPAYER IS BEING HOSED UNDER BIANCHI, ‘THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAYOR’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JAN. 3, 2012) — Budgets are meant to be fluid documents. Yeah, said the wise guy, to be pissed all over. A budget represents one’s best guess about the relationship between projected income and projected expenses. With boatloads of historical data, the economic […]

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!!PLANET UPDATE AND EXCLUSIVE!! READER REVEALS GREATEST SCHOOL SECURITY LAPSE IN PITTSFIELD!! … MEETINGS ON SCHOOL SECURITY A ‘TOO-LITTLE TOO-EARLY’ OVERREACTION … BIANCHI BARS PRESS FROM ATTENDING (SO MUCH FOR TRANSPARENCY) … OFFICIALS GET TO ‘ACT’ AS IF THEY’RE DOING SOMETHING, WHEN NOTHING IS TO BE DONE … plus … WHAT FISCAL CLIFF? AIR FORCE STICKS TO PLANS TO BUY 1,800 JETS FOR $400 MILLION

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1, THURSDAY, DEC. 28, 2012 — THE PLANET wishes to highlight a comment made by OUTFOX, one of our regular correspondents, because it highlights a great point about the status of school security in the People’s Republic of Pittsfield. Outfox pointed our the greatest lapse in […]

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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM THE PLANET!!

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, DEC. 24, 2012 & BEYOND — ’twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … nothing. We shan’t burden you with tales of scandal and corruption. We won’t fill this space with senile  fluff. We won’t shamelessly […]

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‘SHE’ MAY BE A ‘HE’: MISS AMERICA TAKES A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE … plus … THE PROBE INTO TAILGATE-GATE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT, FRIDAY, DEC. 21) — Today, being the last day in human history according to the ancient Mayan calendar, should be a day of rejoicing. All those bills you owe? Forget about them? The college loans? Screw […]

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ONE MORE DAY UNTIL TOMORROW … HELP WITH WINTER HEATING BILLS A PHONE CALL AWAY … HOOCHIE KOOCHER, MALKAS LETTERS PART OF EFFORT TO OUST TERRY KINNAS AND THE INTERFERE IN PITTSFIELD GOVERNMENT … plus … PLANET STILL WAITING ON THS’ VOSBURGH ON TAILGATE-GATE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 2012) — Don’t look now, but tomorrow is the End Of Time As We Know It. No, Alf Barbalunga hasn’t won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. No, North Street downtown has not become safe and inviting. And No, Dan Bianchi hasn’t […]

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THE REWARDS OF TEACHING … TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING; PLEASE BE GENEROUS … BUPKIS ON BUFFIS, BUT LEE SELECTMEN PULL A NO-SHOW … LENOX ‘OLOGIES’ … plus … SADLY, FORMER ST. TERESA’S CHURCH FACES WRECKING BALL (It’s SO Pittsfield)

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19, 2012) — Reason to celebrate: Today, PROF. PLANET finishes another semester. It’s always a cause for celebration, to be freed from the rigors of academia by the blessed end of the semester. We love every second of it. We taught our […]

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‘DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE RAMPANT AT TACONIC HIGH SCHOOL,’ SAYS VARSITY MOM … plus … ADDED SECURITY, FLOOD OF COUNSELORS SEND WRONG MESSAGE TO NATION’S SCHOOL KIDS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 2012) — Only four more days until the Mayan calendar runs out, so why bother with Christmas shopping? We cannot, though, put off sharing this take of what’s going on at Taconic High School from a mom who calls herself The […]

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CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING LEAVES LITTLE ELSE TO SAY … MORE LEFTOVERS FROM THE BIG BANG: “THE TRIAL AND PERSECUTION OF TERRY KINNAS AS PRESENTED BY THE INMATES OF THE PITTSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM” … plus … NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN TAILGATE-GATE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 DEC. 14, EVENING — When we posted this blog early this morning, the tragic events in Newtown, Conn., had yet to occur. The first 911 call came in at 9:41 a.m. During the course of the day, THE PLANET was purposefully not near a television […]

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PITTSFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE ‘TRIAL’ of TERRY KINNAS: WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, DEC. 13, 2012) —In the Old Testament, we read the story of wise King Solomon, who had to decide the fate of a baby. Two women were both claiming to be the mother. After hearing testimony, Solomon realized he couldn’t be sure. He […]

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!!PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! TWO ODD (AN ODDLY TIMED) LETTERS SENT TO SCHOOL CHAIRMAN ALF BARBALUNGA, PLUS EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT AT COMMITTEE MEETING, HAS BUZZED THIS QUESTION: IS THE GOB OUT TO SILENCE TERRY KINNAS? … CRUCIAL MEETING TONIGHT MAY REVEAL THE TRUTH … plus … TAILGATE-GATE CONTINUES TO RATTLE THE WINDOWS AND SHAKE THE WALLS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 12, 2012) — Yesterday, one of our correspondents, DOWNTOWN DWELLER, did us all a huge favor in posting the agenda of the school committee meeting, slated to begin tonight at 6 p.m. in the PHS library. Here is the link: http://www.pittsfield.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/file/Dec%2012%20Agenda.pdf Playing a […]

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MORE INFORMATION ON TAILGATE-GATE … WHAT WAS COACH BARBAROTTA’s ROLE IN THE ALLEGED BOOZE FEST? WHERE IS THE COMMENTARY FROM NOSEWORTHY? BARBALUNGA? SCHOOL COMMITTEE? THE MATTER HAS THE STENCH OF VOMIT-AND-BOOZE … plus … WHY DID BARBALUNGA DENY THE APPLICATION OF THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE FOR PITTSFIELD SCHOOL SUPT.? WHAT IS HE AFRAID OF IN THE CASE OF CHRISTINE CHANNING WILSON?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 2012) — Tailgate, or, if you prefer Taligate-gate continues to occupy much conversation around the water coolers and subterranean corridors of the bedraggled city of Pittsfield, and rightly so. The Pittsfield Public School system makes much of its zero-tolerance policy on […]

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!! PLANET EXCLUSIVE !! MORE INFORMATION SURFACES ON THS TAILGATE … EVIDENCE SUGGESTS HARD-CORE STUDENT DRINKING, LED BY COACHES, DID HAPPEN … SCHOOL DEPARTMENT REMAINS MUM … COMMITTEE MEMBER MEETS WITH DR. NOSEWORTHY … PLANET GIVING AWAY FREE TURKEY DINNERS, SO TELL US WHO COULD USE ONE …plus … MEET AMERICAN HERO WILLIAM BINNEY, THE KNIGHT OF THE KEYBOARD

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, DEC. 7,2012) — The story of the UCONN tailgating party involving Taconic High School senior footballers, the THS football coaching staff, and massive amounts of beer drinking has all but officially been confirmed. THE PLANET has heard from several people who claim knowledge […]

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PLANET GIVING AWAY 3 FREE TURKEY DINNERS; DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO COULD USE ONE IN THIS SEASON OF GIVING? … QUICK HITS AND HOT LICKS: CLASSROOM TIME IN PPS SHRINKING shrinking … NEW LIQUOR STORE OPENING NEAR RICE SILK MILLS A COINCIDENCE?? … WHO WANTS TO COME TO PITTSFIELD? … ‘MY’ NAME IS DAN VALENTI … LEE POLICE CHIEF PROBE … EV WORLDWIDE, WORKSHOP LIVE: IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN? … SULLIVAN STATION FEUDING WITH NEIGHBORS … plus … THS SENIOR FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN UCONN DRUNKFEST??

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5, 2012) — Recently, THE PLANET announced its Turkey of the Year Award. Today, with the help of a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous, we want to help him give away three full prepared Christmas dinners. Yes, today, we giveaway […]

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U.N. VOTE ON PALESTINE A LONG-AWAITED, MUCH DESERVED VICTORY FOR A PEOPLE ILLEGALLY DISPOSSESSED BY ISRAELI BELLIGERENCE … RECOGNITION SHOULD FORCE A REASSESSMENT OF U.S. ‘SANTA CLAUS’ RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL … WHY ISRAEL FLOPPED IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 2012) — Today, we turn our attention to the long-smoldering hotbed-on-ammo-dump known as Middle East politics. The center, naturally, is the state of Israel. Last week, the United National General Assembly approved Palestine as a non-member observer. The vote was 138 […]

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