FLAG DAY … plus … KROL KORRECTIONS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017) — Thanks to all those who are back on THE PLANET and those who sent in compliments on PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION‘s latest show.
FLAG DAY — You probably didn’t know it. Maybe you did. It’s a day receded into “fade out” because of … well, because of reasons too numerous and complicated to list and discuss. THE PLANET has an intimate connection with Flag Day. For four years, beginning in 2004, we delivered the keynote address on the day at the Conte National Archives on Dan Fox Drive. The honor came through a remarkable, wonderful, kind woman named Betty Quadrozzi, whose husband Sam had been an noted local political figure back in the day.
Coming up with Flag Day remarks proved to be both easy and challenging. The easy part had to do with the flag’s symbolic nature. Literally or denotatively, our flag, any flag, is simply a piece bearing a design. It has no more (or less) emotional value than your favorite jeans or the cloth you use to check the lawn mower oil in your. Subjectively or connotatively, the American Flag represents everything this country stands for or — should.
THE PLANET shall not bother to enumerate these values. Every American of age should know them by heart. At one time, that was more of less the case. Today, where history becomes more a lesson in political correctness and a moral values shopping cart of convenient political enthusiasms, that’s not the case. If one wants to read up on those values, we can recommend a brief reading list. It’s not a long list, and it’s one we try to read through at least once a year.
If you want to understand Flag Day, read the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and Abraham Lincoln‘s Gettysburg Address. Those are the course’s required text. There are many supplemental readings: You might want to add Martin Luther King‘s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” or his “I Have a Dream speech, biographies of the Founding Fathers and people like Malcolm X, the writings of scribes such as Ambrose Bierce, H. L. Mecken, and Gore Vidal, and anything by Walt Whitman and Robert Frost.
Educate yourself. Reflect on the day.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT — THE PLANET heard from our Right Honorable Good Friend
PHS shortstop John Krol, by leaps and bounds. (Photo courtesy of the Krol family)
John Krol about our column earlier this week. We make two corrections:
- JK played shortstop for Pittsfield High School, not Taconic.
- His MLB favorite was Don Mattingly. Great choice.
By way of news, Krol said he had “zero interest in being council president.” He praised the job Pete Marchetti is doing and said he would back him “100 percent” to remain president.
Personally, THE PLANET has likes. He’s a bright, engaging man and brings a lot of good to the table as a ward councilor and, more importantly, as family man and productive citizen, the kind Pittsfield needs in droves.
———————————————————————————————-
“Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” — Warren Spahn
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Agree to disagree.Mazzeo should be President.
Ask Hollywood Handsome’ Krol what he thought of the comment by another Councilor,that this was a bare bones’ Budget? That ranks right up there with the Rivers comment on an earlier PCTV show where she stated she wished to be as good a City Councilor as Lisa Tully. Now that’s some bananas there,Shirly.
Great commentary about Flag Day Dan.
It seems like nobody remembers the meaning of anything anymore.
Pittsfield and North Adams passed their municipal budgets this week. It will cost taxpayers over $200 million dollars to run these two municipalities in fiscal year 2018!
Where does the money come from? There are no living wage jobs in Pittsfield and North Adams! About 70% of Pittsfield residents are on or near welfare subsistence. About 80% of North Adams residents are on or near welfare subsistence. There is no middle class residents left.
All K – 6 Pittsfield public school students receive free school lunches. All K – 12 North Adams public school students receive free school lunches. There is a lot of poverty and near poverty children growing up in the Berkshires!
No political leaders offered any solutions to Pittsfield and North Adams’ financial constraints. Instead, they said we are in “dire straits” and they had to use “free cash” to avoid millions of dollars in additional budget cuts.
– Jonathan Melle
Krol is the laziest councilor in the history of Pittsfield.
apparently you’ve never met Caccamo
He’s not far behind.
Gotta luv the Planet is back!
Right there next to Tully, Amuso and Pete White
Krol can we see your resume? Let’s face it. You’re only on the council to suck the taxpayers money for your health insurance.
I can name quite a few councilors who take city Health insurance.
Morandi, Krol Connell Mazzeo, Rivers
Pittsfields Taconic High School will play for the division 1 state championship baseball title and they are good enough to win.Good luck.
The Congressional Baseball Game will go on tonight for Charity. Trump should be there to throw out the first pitch.
Let’s pray for all those shot. Scalise is having a third surgery and is not out of the woods just yet.
Trump seems to be taking this very badly.
Yeah, seen him reading from a tel e prompter, he look ridiculously Not sincere.
What’s your point Harlan? Everyone uses it these days.
Tough guy Trump has promoted ignorant violence for the Last 4 years and this is appealing to him for some disgusting reason beyond his ignorance.
Actually it’s been Hilary, Obama and the Dems that have been promoting violence. They paid people to go to Trump rallies and incite violence. Even since they blew the election they’ve encouraged, organized and funded violent protests where cowardly liberals smashed cars, broke shop windows (just like the Nazis in Night of Broken Glass), and assaulted people. They’ve fed the fake news about Russian collusion which is furthering dividing this country.
And what about all these liberals promoting violence against the President, whether it’s Kathy Griffin or the makers of Julius Caesar?
DrudgeReport currently has a link to a story about all the violence against “conservatives,” or, really, Trump supporters.
But I guess that’s OK, because the Left can do anything it wants.
“Democrats have incited violence against republicans for so long that the “resistance” claimed at least 4 victims. 1)Tim Kaine asked for blood on the streets. 2) Loretta Lynch did the same. 3)Obama asked for his supporters to rise up. 3) CNN announced who would take over the government if all elected republicans were KILLED during Trump’s inauguration. 4)A NY play shows the killing of Trump. 5)Snoop Dog kills Trump in a video. 6)Kathy Griffin decapitates Trump in a photoshoot …Update …. 7)Madonna – “I’ve thought a lot about blowing up the White House.” 8)Robert De Niro: “I’d Like to Punch Him (Trump) in the Face”. 8)Avengers director Joss Whedon: “I Want a Rhino to F*ck Paul Ryan to Death”. 9)The creater of the Wire, David Simon: “Pick Up a G*ddamn Brick” if Trump Fires Robert Mueller. 10)The Wrestler actor Mickey Rourke Threatens to Beat Trump with Baseball Bat: “He Can Suck My F*cking D*ck”. 11)Actress Lea DeLaria Threatens to ‘Take Out’ Republicans and Independents with Baseball Bat after Trump Win. 12)Rapper YG Threatens Trump with “F*ck Donald Trump” Song. 13) Marilyn Manson Kills ‘Trump’ in Music Video. 14)Rapper Everlast Warns Trump: “I Will Punch You in Your F*cking Face”. 15)Larry Wilmore Jokes About Suffocating Trump with ‘Pillow They Used to Kill Scalia’. 16)Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Puts Stephen Miller’s Head on a Spike.17) Sarah Silverman Suggests Military Could Help Overthrow Trump. 18) Kathy Griffin promised to beat up Barron Trump. 19) Joe Biden wants to beat up Trump behind the gym … Bad apples or a rotten tree?”
I guess the snowflake Republicans are afraid of tough talk.
My guess is that they’re afraid of nutty Bernie Bros.
Maybe they should be?
We need to cut 5 million out of schools, stop the nonsense with the public works guy and close a high school and Crosby mold and mildew building
The Trump cabinet meeting was born in scientology.I
Paul, does the President need to (read) the message of sorrow and compassion, he can’t do it with his own feelings or his own conscious? He looked like a dope.
Harlin, grow up and try to understand technology. Welcome to the 21st century.
Seem’s like the topix crowd is back….missed your site but them them for sure.
Chuck Garivaltis Number Eight all time Athlete? Nope. Number One!
Thank you, May, I’m happy to be on this list.
If Chuck is eight, who’s number seven? Who votes on this stuff anyway, Chuck played with Jim Brown for heavens sake.
Now Rhonda Sere is challenging Champagne Tony for the ward 7 seat. They are both democrats…..but which one is the bigger moon bat?
The biggest moonbat is that candidate that wrote FU on their fence.
To the best of my knowledge she isn’t running this time around.
She has no power to hasten the decline of Pittsfield. Tony or Rhonda will. Which one will do the least amount of harm?
Probably a good idea since she lost about 85%-15%.
Are you running at large or for ward?
You’ll see when the deadline day arrives.
Even a ham sandwich that’s a democrat will get elected if they make it through the primary.
The moon bat would be any Trump voter running for council
because we know anyone not a staunch democrat has no place in Pittsfield politics. Last time I heard of a single party having this much control WW2 was happening
Back then the South was largely Democrat and the North was mostly Republican. Country and both parties were very different then.
1 Charles E. Hibbard Charles E. Hibbard.png 1891–1892 Democratic
2 Jabez L. Peck Jabez L. Peck.png 1892–1894 Republican
3 John Crawford Crosby John Crawford Crosby.png 1894–1895 Democratic
4 Walter Foxcroft Hawkins Walter F. Hawkins.png 1896–1897 Republican
5 William W. Whiting William W. Whiting.png 1898–1899 Democratic
6 Hezekiah S. Russell Hezekiah S. Russel.png 1900–1901 Republican
7 Daniel England Daniel England.png 1902–1902[1] Democratic
8 Harry Dwight Sisson 1903–1904 Republican
9 Allen H. Bagg Allen H. Bagg.png 1905–1907 Republican
10 William H. MacInnis William H. MacInnis.png 1908–1910 Democratic
11 Kelton B. Miller Kelton B. Miller.png 1911–1912 Republican
12 Patrick J. Moore Patrick James Moore.png 1913–1914 Democratic
13 George W. Faulkner George William Faulkner.png 1915–1916 Republican
14 William C. Moulton William C. Moulton.png 1917–1919 Republican
15 Louis A. Merchant Louis A. Merchant.png January 5, 1920-January 3, 1921 Republican
16 Michael W. Flynn Michael W. Flynn.png January 3, 1921-January 1923 Democratic
17 Charles W. Power 1923–1924 Republican
18 Fred T. Francis 1925-1926 Republican
19 Harry Goodrich West 1927[1] Republican
20 Jay Preston Barnes 1928–1932 Democratic
21 Patrick J. Moore 1932-1933 Democratic
22 Allen H. Bagg Allen H. Bagg.png 1934-1937 Republican Republican
23 James Fallon 1938-1947 Democratic
24 Robert T. Capeless 1948–1956 Democratic
25 Remo Del Gallo 1965–1968[2] Democratic
26 Donald G. Butler 1968-1973 Republican
27 Evan Dobelle 1974-1976 Republican
28 Paul E. Brindle III 1977-1979 Democratic
29 Charles L. Smith 1980-1987 Democratic
30 Anne Woitklowski 1988-1991 Democratic
31 Edward M. Reilly 1992–1998 Democratic
32 Gerald S. Doyle Jr. 1998–2002 Democratic
33 Sara Hathaway 2002–2004 Democratic
34 James M. Ruberto[1] 2004–2012 Democratic
35 Daniel Bianchi 2012–2016 Democratic
36 Linda M. Tyer[3] 2016- Democrat
Evan Dumbell is now a democrat
It only goes to prove one thing, they’re all in it together. That’s now Pittsfield’s new thing.
I think I see a trend here.
Ray Haughey didn’t make this list. He must have fell in the 1956-1965 gap as shown. Not sure of his political party.
I believe Mayor Bagg’s nickname was…..in the….I couldn’t resist Hammy.
Welcome back Danny!!! Is there going to be a Generallisimo or Hess clean up sighting this summer. I’ve got props for the Forest manicure.
It’s a twenty year old weed wacker in parts, it’s really funny.
I’ve got a rake with just the handle,if that will help?
Chuck was so tough, when he tackled someone, teeth fell out they didn’t even know they had.
While Simple Simonelli is no prize. Serre is a Tyer clone. A quote from the Eagle by Serre…….”There is lots of positive momentum and it is exciting to be on the brink of Pittsfield’s transformation from a one-company town to a vibrant, multicultural, economically empowered community,” she said. This is the same baloney that Tyer spouts. Tyer has a toady running in every ward but 6 and 3.
I resemble that remark
WTF is an economically empowered community?
I think it means there is a lot of EBT and SNAP around here.
Probably it’s empowered. Y Covantas free Boiler courtesy of City.
Your excited that Mayor Tyer wont make the necessary 5 million dollar cuts to the department of schools.Your excited that taxes go up in excess of 200 dollars a year.Your pumped to pay teachers in excess of 75k per year.Is it the excitement of when will we bankrupt the dying small city of heroin.
It looks like the Lovely Linda Tyer is getting her people to run for Pittsfield politics’ elected positions during her mid-term as Mayor. She will have a majority vote on the City Council and School Committee for the next 2 years. It will be a new order for the “Good Old Boys” network that has run Pittsfield into the proverbial ditch.
The facts on Pittsfield’s local economy:
* Sabic moved away, meaning the losses of 300 jobs with a median income of $70,000
* GE left the Berkshires long ago, leaving behind cancer-causing PCBs
* PEDA has been a miserable failure since 1998
* KB Toys went bankrupt long ago, meaning that, once again, hundreds of jobs were lost in Pittsfield
* Downtown Pittsfield has many empty storefronts, violent crimes, drugs, poverty, and it is known as “Social Services Alley”
* Thousands of people have moved away from Pittsfield due to the thousands of lost jobs that have not come back, Jack (Welch)
* All K – 6 Pittsfield public school students receive free school lunches due to the high per capita poverty/welfare rate in Pittsfield
* Pittsfield’s municipal government is at its levy ceiling, meaning it is financially constrained
* The largest single employer in Pittsfield is the City of Pittsfield
* Pittsfield’s “BHS” Hospital is a not-for-profit that also relies on taxpayers’ dollars
* Pittsfield politics spent millions of GE dollars on downtown Pittsfield’s so-called “renaissance”, meaning that “economic development” in Pittsfield did not create one living wage job
Economic Development boils down to affirmative answers to the following two questions:
1. Would a middle class family choose to buy a home in Pittsfield?
2. Would a small business choose to invest its capital in Pittsfield?
I think we all know the real answers that the Lovely Linda Tyer and her chosen candidates will have to address during the campaign and election of 2017.
– Jonathan Melle
Dude we’re dropping our analylist and have added shot sputter.
JM, even the porn store on South St. packed up and left.
What replaced the porn store that closed on South Street?
it’s an empty building
We have given Covanta a half million and Beacon tax breaks for new chairs, lounge chairs. And we have to fix a senior center facade when years ago the theatre in which it was adorned closed down, it was so important. Help me Rhonda, help me get the hell outta town.Trumps ass is getting fatter,,,,,aside.
Open Letter to Alan Chartock
June 17, 2017
Dear Alan Chartock,
I support Congressman Richie Neal. He is an advocate for Social Security, Veterans, and many other progressive and important causes.
For the most part, I admire your work in news journalism and communication. At times, I have openly disagreed with some of your selective praise and criticisms of a few Western Massachusetts politicians. You seem to favor the political establishment over grassroots political activists who want change.
Some my criticisms of Rep. Neal are that he is a career politician who runs in non-competitive “elections” every 2 years. Moreover, he collects millions of special interests, PAC, or lobbyist contributions, and he is very favorable to the financial institutions that run Boston/northeast politics.
Like many politically connected people, Rep. Neal receives lucrative taxpayer-funded benefits and compensation, which will include a big public pension when he retires if he doesn’t die in political office like Silvio Conte and Ted Kennedy.
As for Rep. Neal understanding Berkshire County’s creative economy, does that include the large numbers of population and job losses, including an aging residential base, high per capita welfare caseloads, including thousands of public school children receiving free school lunches due to widespread poverty, and many young adults moving away from the Berkshires just to find a living wage job?
Your column praising Richie Neal cited three politically connected, career politicians: Former Mayor John Barrett III, former State Senator Ben Downing, and 8-term Lenox State Representative “Smitty” Pignatelli. You did not cite any common citizen who feels marginalized by the many problems and issues facing Berkshire County. There were many letters to the editor expressing the people’s frustration with their Congressman being out of touch and not accessible.
It is tough out there for the common people who live in the real world. It must be nice to be a politically connected, career politician! They seem to take care of themselves.
– Jonathan Melle
The Congress is trying to balance the budget on the backs of the most needy. on’t forget it was Clinton who had the surplus, then Bush got in and eventually Obama inherited a mess. it all ties in with trickle down economics and the rich getting richer. Do not mess with S S or the elderly medical, it’s not right. hey Hey Hey
Trump is no good, you can compare it to our own City, the special interests and wall street, Banks wil get theirs and the middle class will pay for it all with Trump blaming the most needy and elderly. Think back door tax cut for the rich.
Donald may save Pittsfield through General Dynamics…Long Live Trump.
Pittsfield gave Hancock Shaker Village 450k
They gave Covanta a private entity that is thriving, a half million.
Taconic is now the Division 1 STATE Champs…
Who did they beat? score? are there more games?
Sorry to see Gail Carridi passed,my Condolence to her Family.
Taconic 5-1
The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering banning the use of names, symbols, or imagery referring to Native American tribes. The proposed law even specifically uses the term “braves” as being outlawed from use. So the Taconic Braves name could be on the chopping block. Naturally Pittsfield has jumped on the bandwagon supporting the state. Wait for Tricia Farley-Bouvier to make this one of the most pressing issues facing the Berkshires right now. The debate over the issue is currently raging on iberkshires with the majority of people thinking that the proposed ban is really stupid.
So, that probably means that the Braves will have to forfeit their recently obtained State Title because their opponents were scouting the Braves, which might have been outlawed,just sayin.
As someone else mentioned on the iberkshires site, does this mean that the Pontoosuc Lake name would eventually also be changed?
I am shocked
A Beverage company had a logo years ago of a little boy with a feather. Can that.
Do you think when Trump and colleagues try to balance the budget on the backs of the neediest,the recent shooting or violence wiil escalate?
Exactly how will the needy be bearing the burden?
Probably by dying.
Who knows what you Bernie Bro Whackadoodles will do.
That’s what the progressives did. They put the whole burden of Obamacare on the working middle class….one of the many reasons why Trump won the election. Progressives continue to tell a story that just isn’t true. Trump isn’t attempting to hurt the neediest. The neediest are now the working middle class.
Good to see The Planet return.
Trump is making sure the rich get there’s and if his plans don’t work everyone but the rich will be left in the dust. The most significant are those back door tax cuts for the rich. He won’t get far on certain other cuts because the House Republicans won’t vote for much of his or Ryan-McConnell, or that Mulaney dope, and next vote, Dems will be back in power in the house.
You watch too much MSLSD
Or PMSNBC
You do realize that the wealthy did very well during the Obama years? Trotting out the old line that Republicans only care about the wealthy doesn’t ring true any more.
Excatly, Pat. Obama raped the middle class, helped Wall St. and other special interests, killed American jobs, and handed out freebies to illegals and those who don’t want to work. Worst President for the middle class ever. I don’t care how badly Trump does, he’s still better than HRC ever would have been.
And that’s putting it mildly. HRC also wanted to pour refugees from Syria and other dangerous areas into the country like her good friend Merkel has done in Germany. Trump is the only reason that this country isn’t currently getting millions of refugees who cannot be vetted properly.
They’ll fit in fine, no more dangerous place the the U S right now. People get assaulted everyday right here in Pittsfield, get a scanner.
Hail Harry full of crap the anti Hillary is with thee. Pittsfield taxes just went up another whopping 150 for most homeowners, how is that helping the middle class or any class? it is incredible that our City gave Covanta a half million dollars, when we want to eliminate a city vehicle on the city side with 15 years of supposed rot because someone didn’t take care of it, that defies logic.
Funny stuff H. Remember when our ancient boilers were to blame because of maintenance issues or the roof of the Los Taconic and Maitenance issues. Kind of makes you wonder who was maintaining the Vovanta Boiler? U can’t make it up. And they’re a successful private company.