By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1, 2014) — Welcome to October, in Pittsfield time for leaf changing and double dealing. The leaves will ripen, redden, and fall. The double dealing from the corner office and The Suits (a typo first had it as “The Shits” … perhaps […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 30, 2014) — The first time, the mayor’s taxpayer-crushing plan was unanimously rejected. The mayor then rescinded the vote, so he could engineer to outcome he so desperately (and mysteriously) wanted. In the second vote, which came yesterday, the majority still voted […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2014) — Is Mayor Dan Bianchi trying to pull another fast one? Is he trying to force city employees out of the GIC and into Blue Cross/Blue Shield? After the unions voted to stay put in the GIC, did the mayor […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 26-28, 2014) — On the road and taking care of business, but THE PLANET posts this interesting question to start things off for the weekend: What happened to the sign-up sheet at Tuesday’s city council meeting? That was the meeting where […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, SEPT. 25, 2014) — THE PLANET heard briefly from councilor at-large Barry Clairmont yesterday, still off on his Rocky Mountain hegira. Clairmont offered a quick reaction to the recent events concerning 100gate. Understand, at 11,000 feet, we consider any reaction a bonus. He […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 2014) — Picking up the pieces of a busy day, where continents of sand had to wait for the arrival of their king (obligatory cryptic note), THE PLANET shares two nuggets for thought. The first is on our resident tempest and […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 23, 2014) — Yesterday, we posted on agenda item 11, scheduled for tonight’s meeting of the Pittsfield City Council. In it, Mayor Dan Bianchi will make a presentation on the move of offices from city hall to 100 North St., a move […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, SEPT. 22, 2014) — Tomorrow night, if the center continues to fall apart, our Right Honorable Good Friends on the Pittsfield City Council shall face a tipping point. After this vote, citizens will know where councilors stand: Are they for We The People […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 19-21, 2014) — What in the name of Fred Fahey and Jim Mooney is going on at the Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club? THE PLANET‘s spies, including several sources closely involved at the old brick building on Melville Street and “a heartbeat […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Don’t forget to tune in tonight for another thrill-packed adventure of PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION. We will mop the floor with The MOP and perform other astounding feats. Channel 16, tonight, live, 7 to 8 p.m. Replays Friday at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 11 p.m. and […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, SEPT., 17, 2014) — The Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Donuts started out as a one-off in 1950, when Bill Rosenburg opened his shop in Quincy, Mass. Today, the company describes itself as “the world’s leading baked goods and coffee chain, serving more than 3 […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, SEPT. 16, 2014) — THE PLANET presents a new Greedysburg Address: Floor score and seventy plus twenty thousand dollars ago, our Mayor brought forth to 70 Allen Street a new flooring, conceived in vanity and dedicated to the proposition that all men are […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, SEPT. 15, 2014) — The transcript reads as follows: THE PLANET: Mr. Chairman, point of order. CHAIR: Proceed. PLANET: We request the floor. CHAIR: Chair acknowledges THE PLANET. We give THE PLANET the floor. ——– 000 ——– Well, it sort of went that […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 12-14, 2014) — The new Batmobile from Batman v Superman has been unveiled. A Real Housewives of New Jersey couple are headed for prison and have put their mansion up for sale. Britney has signed up for Tinder All that, and the Ray […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, SEPT. 11, 2014) — The city has hired a new director for Downtown Pittsfield Inc. Her name is Kristine Hurley, who has been DPI’s manager for the past three years. Hurley spoke of her appointment — announced when DPI issued a prepared statement […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10, 2014) — Water, water everywhere, and not a drop for taxpayers. We might call this the latest episode in “TES: Water on the Brain.” (An aside: If you see The Worried Man, a.k.a., The MOP [The Mayor of Pittsfield] today, ask him how well the robocalls […]
