Planet Valenti

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 29-31) — Dan Bianchi, caught in the act of stonewalling again! What a shocker. Talk about your quotidian occurrences. Yes, my dear friends, The Empty Suit again has given citizens, taxpayers, and the public The Fickle Finger. The NY Post headline announce in […]

WEEKEND EDITION TO COME SHORTLY! WHAT IS THE MAYOR HIDING? The Administration answers councilor-at-large Barry Clairmont’s request for e-mails pertaining to the mayor’s proposed move of city hall to 100 North Street, an egregious move that will cost taxpayers up to half a million bucks. Clairmont received 63 pages. What did they contain? Not much. […]

DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Part 4 of 4, Finale (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, AUG. 28, 2014) — The previous three columns in this series looking at the “post new journalism” explored how THE PLANET has provided a working model for making money in a news milieu dominated by cyberspace. In doing so, […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Part 3 of 4 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27, 2014) — One thing has never changed about the news game. Pay close attention, all you would-be investigative reporters out there (don’t speak up all at once). THE PLANET is about to share the singlemost important piece of […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Part 2 of 4 Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 26, 2014) — Yesterday, THE PLANET shared additional news that preceded, accompanied, and might follow the announcement of Digital First Media‘s decision to sell 51 of its newspaper buildings in seven states. The list includes The Berkshire […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 25, 2014) — Last week, THE PLANET did the Oklahoma thing and jumped the gun in our story on the “sale of The Boring Broadsheet.” As other readers later noted, The Berkshire Eagle‘s parent company has put the bricks and mortar up for […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1, SATURDAY, EARLY A.M. — A source close to the situation tells THE PLANET that Rosanne Frieri‘s legal team “is planning a big press conference for Monday.” More to come. Stay tuned. ——– 000 ——– (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 22-24, 2014) — The hearing […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, AUG. 21, 2014) — Today, THE PLANET would like to present this annotated photo feature. The pictures are the work of our good friend Ben Garver, ace photographer of The Berkshire Eagle. His subject: The Empty Suit, depicted in a variety of strained […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20, 2014) — “Good” news lies within the inner perceptions, that built-in interpreter of the often harsh outside life that is our heir for the “sin” of being human. What you may find tragic, he may find funny. Your inability to control […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 19, 2014) — The lively discussion stimulated by Craig Gaetani‘s petition to the city council giving Pittsfield citizens the right to request that any dealings with a city department be recorded brought THE PLANET into the deeper consideration. That would be the […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY-TUESDAY, AUG. 18-19, 2014) — At the Aug. 12 city council  meeting, Craig Gaetani, dubbed the Water Wizard for his role in c0-designing and building Pittsfield’s Cleveland water plant in Hinsdale, appeared twice — in person at the open mic and through a petition on the agenda. Gaetani’s […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 15-17, 2014) — Today at 10:30 a.m., the city will fire Rosanne Frieri. It’s not a show-cause hearing, as the city would have you believe. It’s an execution. Mayor Dan Bianchi, who decided long ago that Frieri must go, has loaded […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ——– 000 ——– ED. NOTE — THE PLANET is saddened to hear of the death of former Boys and Girls Club Director Peter Bell, who died Tuesday. A source told THE PLANET that Bell died “from a fall off of a roof. I guess he got his […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13, 2014) — Early Monday morning, THE PLANET heard from a source that suspended Pittsfield veteran’s agent Rosanne Frieri had been fired. The report turned out to be inaccurate — by five days. The hearing scheduled for Friday, 10:30 a.m., at city hall […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12-13, 2014) — THE PLANET got it our of her. City council president Melissa Mazzeo has joined a host of her council colleagues in wanting and expecting Mayor Dan Bianchi to appear before the city council on Sept. 2 to answer a list […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 11, 2014) — The vote was set for tomorrow, and up-or-down showdown from and for each member of the city council on councilor-at-large Barry Clairmont‘s petition asking his colleagues to approve sending a list of questions on “100gate” to Mayor Dan Bianchi. […]