BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016) — Soon Pittsfield mayor Linda Tyer will unveil her first municipal budget, heartburn and all. The FY17 budget will determine far better than any other indicator or antacid the direction of her leadership in and from the Corner Office. Early […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2016) — There will be pirates and princesses, walking tacos and other shoddy promotions. There will be fireworks and firewalls in the form of over-netting, tin heroes, and inedible hot dogs. There will be plenty of distraction for the Colleens and […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 30, 2016) — Nothing long or ponderous today, just a remembrance of all veterans, especially those who died in service to the country. THE PLANET offers our respects and honors for their sacrifices, for which we shall ever be grateful. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 27-29, 2016) — THE PLANET begins today with two letters to the editor. The first nicely sums up the cost of the city council’s foolish vote to approve (7-2) five more years of tax breaks for The Beacon Cinema. The […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016) — Not long ago, THE PLANET spurred quite a discussion after our column of the days and plays of yesteryear (“The Battle for Pittsfield Was Lost on Its Empty Playing Fields,” May 10). The column had followed a breakfast with the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016) — THE PLANET found ourselves in beautiful downtown Pittsfield last night and thus, taking advantage of our misfortune, turned lemons into Jolt! cola. We popped in for the beginning of the city council meeting. We heard a few comments from […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016) — By Pittsfield standards, the gathering yesterday at city hall hit its mark — whatever the mark might have been. Was it intended to be press conference? A community forum? A show of force? A message of solidarity? All of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016) — THE PLANET woke up a sleeping giant this weekend. We drew a near record number of hits, stirred a deep public discussion on crime, and forced the corner office into keeping a campaign promise because of the heavy flack […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 20-22, 2016) – Mayor Tyer, you wanted it. Well, sister, you got it. You got to be mayor. You said you were ready. You campaigned for the corner office with crime one of your major platform planks. So tell THE […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Three of a Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2016) — So much for The “new” Boring Broadhseet. The pitiful rag shoved it to citizens by showing its first loyalty is to The Suits, dutifully printing a gushing lead story on Page One yesterday about what […]
By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2016) — Yesterday, we presented our case against Mayor Linda Tyer‘s shameless, water-carrying appeal for multimillionaire Richard Stanley, who wants another five years of exemption of real estate and personal property taxes on his downtown Beacon Cinema. Once again, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MAY 16, 2016) — The deeper we get into Mayor Linda Tyer’s reign, the more information we have upon which we can draw reasonable conclusions. Of course, less than five months in with more than three and a half years […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, MAY 13-15, 2016) — Lots to cover, so let us do it in QH&HL style. For those not in the know, THE PLANET means Quick Hitz and Hot Lix. No Exit … or Entrance — Yesterday you may have read the comment […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016) — Unlike municipal government and government generally, THE PLANET loves transparency. Our track record in this regard speaks for itself and stands second to none. City personnel director Michael Taylor dutifully responded to our request for the city or town of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016) — Overall, Linda Tyer has been a refreshing change from her predecessor. She has communicated well, showed general openness to policy, and has seemed to care about opening procedure to public input. THE PLANET applauds that and hopes the pattern continues, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY,MAY 10, 2016) — THE PLANET enjoyed an urbane breakfast yesterday at the Red Lion Inn with one of Pittsfield’s greatest native sons, Chuck Garivaltis. After solving the world’s (and the city’s) problems, Chuck and THE PLANET discussed the comment made by Pittsfield police chief (acting) […]
