GIVING AWAY THE STORE: YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE CUSHY DEAL JAKE EBERWEIN III & SCHOOL COMMITTEE GAVE FRANK “FREE HOUSE” COTE … AND EVERY CENT COMES FROM YOUR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS

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GIVING AWAY THE STORE: YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE CUSHY DEAL JAKE EBERWEIN III & SCHOOL COMMITTEE GAVE FRANK “FREE HOUSE” COTE … AND EVERY CENT COMES FROM YOUR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014) — Despite the fact that the population of city schools has dropped from more than 12,000 to just under 6,000 … despite the fact that the administrative staff has more than quadrupled. Despite the fact that there are […]

March 6, 2014 34 Comments

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‘THE PITTSFIELD WAY’ — SCHOOL SUPT.’s CALL FOR MILLIONS $$ IN NEW SPENDING NOT GOOD OMEN FOR PITTSFIELD TAXPAYERS … TIME IS RUNNING SHORT TO THE INEVITABLE FINANCIAL DISASTER

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014) — Little by little, over many years, the salaries and retirement benefits of San Bernardino’s city workers — and especially its police and firemen — grew richer and richer, even as the city lost its major employers and gradually got poorer […]

March 5, 2014 28 Comments

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PATEEZ, LATEST BIZ TO PACK IT IN DOWNTOWN, OFFERS A CAUTIONARY TALE … STREETSCAPE, PARKING, AND OTHER WOES TRACE BACK TO A LACK OF VISION … or … THANK YOU, MAYOR BIANCHI, FOR N-O-T-H-I-N-G

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ASH WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014) — When Petula Clark had her hit “Downtown” in 1965, the year we discovered hamburgers, she obviously wan’t warbling with a psychic’s grasp of the future, particularly the future of Downtown Pittsfield. The place we used to call “Upstreet” […]

March 4, 2014 33 Comments

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CONNELL & REPS (DOWNING, FARLEY-BOUVIER, MAZZEO) WEIGH IN ON ’71 STONEHENGE’ … QUESTIONS SWIRL, OPEN FORUM SUGGESTED … WHERE IS MAYOR BIANCHI ON THIS CRUCIAL ISSUE OF ‘VALUE’?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2014) — On this Mardi Gras, we hear from four legislators regarding the plan to move a group home to 71 Stonehenge Drive. As you probably know, THE PLANET broke the story and followed up on it yesterday. Think it’s a […]

March 4, 2014 43 Comments

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MYSTERY OF STONEHENGE DEEPENS … 30-YEAR LEASE … WHEN GROUP HOMES INVADE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014) — The mystery of Stonehenge deepens. Following up on our exclusive on the group home moving into 71 Stonehedge Road in Pittsfield, the questions must be asked: 1. Why there, of all places? 2. Why was it done so quietly? […]

March 2, 2014 78 Comments

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