By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015) — THE PLANET, and THE PLANET alone, reported on the damage done to the roof at Taconic High School last week when the city hired the sheriff’s department to clear the school’s roof of snow. They brought in two guards and a bunch of prisoners (reports vary from five to seven cons).

Our coverage brought a distressed retraction in the form of a puff piece run in The Boring Broadsheet, wherein The BB did no investigating of its own but merely took the administration’s word that “there’s nothing to see there, so move along.”

Well, turns out now that the damaged roof is leaking. We heard from reliable sources that “water is pouring through the roof at Taconic today [March 11] as a result of the roof damage.”

PLANET Coverage (Yet Again) Foiled a Coverup

The Bumstead Administration admitted nothing except to slight damage. Julia Sabourin of the corner office totally downplayed the harm as insignificant, not even worth nothing. You know if they admit that much, there was much more distress done to that roof. THS principal, our good friend John Vosburgh, followed the strict company line. He worded his statement carefully, saying words to the effect of “no report of damage had been filed.” That’s not the same thing as saying there was no extensive damage.

Of course there was no report filed. That’s was part of the coverup. After the destruction, sources say orders were given to all who witnessed what happened not to breath a word of it to anyone. What they didn’t count on was THE PLANET‘s Secret Squadron and our Z Agents. They are everywhere — yes, even on the rooftops!

What are the odds, ladies and gentlemen, that The Administration has counted on We The People not knowing about the damage caused by the cons and will cite the damaged condition of the roof as yet another justification to spend $150 million needlessly on a new school? The pretensions of this Administration know no bounds.

More Names to the Mayoral Mix

Our column on potential mayoral candidates stirred up a most interesting community discussion, which tell us two things: (a) that there may be heightened interest and therefore heightened participation/turnout in this year’s election and (b) politics in Pittsfield is a blood sport. There is no “political football” in the city. In that town, it’s full-tilt-boogie rugby.

THE PLANET said in the column that we didn’t include all of the possible names, and indeed readers came up with a few others that we shall now include on our official unofficial list: Barry Clairmont, Linda Tyer, Dennis Guyer, and Dan Valenti.

CLAIRMONT — Earned massive streeet cred this year for playing the role of recalcitant, his yin to Mayor Daniel Bumstead‘s yang. Of course, there’s no guarantee of translation. If you’ll recall, Bumstead loved to play the same role during the Doyle and Ruberto Administrations, and look what happened when he got into office. He crossed over to the dark side. Clairmont is intelligent, does his homework, and speaks well, but is he “likable” enough? Plus, he likely won’t run. He’s partners in a business, and his professional “spouses” would have to agree. Don’t know if they would sign off.

TYER — If you will recall, THE PLANET first broachedher name as “mayoral timber” some time ago. We heard then that she was considering a run then the talk backed off and so, presumably,  did her interest in the thankless corner job. As city clerk, Tyer has excellent, indeed superior, preparation for the bureaucratic end of the job. As a former city councilor, she has ward experience. If she decided on it, Tyer would be a serious candidate.

GUYER — THE PLANET meant to include him yesterday. He’s a former state rep. He moved from Dalton to Pittsfield, which started mayoral speculation at the time. He’s a former state rep. Of course, if you’re from Berkshire County, being a state rep means relegation to the back bench in terms of influence and little to do but collect your handsome per diems from the state. Nonetheless, Guyer has about him a direct, incisive approach to issues, as evidence, for example, by his takes on issues on his Facebook page. He’d make a good administrator. Drawbacks: He has a good job at the Jane Iredale Cosmetics, a growing, global business HQd in Great Barrington, and he is a devoted dad to his three young lads. Would his wife and sons not want him to “stay put?” Those are the kind of “drawbacks” we wish for everyone.

VALENTI — THE PLANET deliberately left his name out of it, since Valenti himself addressed the question last week. For those who missed it, he said he had not made that decision yet. If he were to pull the trigger, and odds are he won’t, he would be a formidable candidate. He would be well financed, organized, and campaign relentlessly. Modesty prohibits the details, but ask yourself: Would you relish a high-stakes debate with him? Didn’t think so.

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!!BULLETIN!! Clairmont Won’t Seek re-Election

This just in, from the offices of Lombardi, Clairmont, and Keegan:

I will not be seeking reelection for the office of city councilor at-large. My accounting practice is experiencing strong and steady growth.  I have assessed the demands on my time and the ability to manage many competing priorities. While I am dedicated to my work as a city councilor my first commitment must be to my partners and our clients. My experience as a member of the Pittsfield City Council has been challenging and engaging. It is a privilege to represent the citizens of Pittsfield and I will finish the remainder of my term with the same enthusiasm people have come to expect from me. — Barry Clairmont.

THE PLANET literally got this release a minute ago. Three quick reactions: First, he doesn’t rule out a run for mayor. Second, he did say on PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION that he would probably be running for office but “not necessarily” for council.  Third, he will not run for mayor. In any case, we wish our Right Honorable Good Friend all the best.

Oh yeah, and see you on the telly tonight, live, beginning at 7 p.m.

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“So passes, in the passing of a day, / Of mortal life the leaf, the bud, the flower, / No more does flourish after first decay.” — Edmund Spenser, Stanza 75, “The Bower of Bliss,” from The Fairy Queen, Book II, Canto xii, (1590).

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.