BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 31 TO LABOR DAY, 2018) — One of The Ol’ Professor’s favorite essays to use in Comp I classes was “Warfare in the Forest is Not Wanton” by Brooks Atkinson. In it, the author describes the fury and ferocity of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 29, 2018) — News items too big to fail: Sign of the Times — A campaign sign belonging to District Attorney Paul Caccaviello was not stolen yesterday. That sign, plus one located in Caccaviello’s basement, are the only two of his signs […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY NEWS FLASH! THIS JUST IN TO THE PLANET’s NEWS DESK: SOURCES TELL US THAT “HUGE LAYOFFS” COMING IN NOVEMBER AT CRANWELL RESORT. THIS WILL INCLUDE MANY LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES. YOU READ IT HERE FIRST. NOW TO OUR REGULAR COVERAGE. ———- 000 ———- (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 27, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 24-6, 2018) — Two city councilors have blasted Mayor Linda Tyer for the city’s mismanagement of the dog shelter. Their criticisms come after communications sent to this address regarding concern for the unfortunate dogs who find themselves in the facility. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 22, 2018) — Let’s start with the name. It would be a “Police Oversight Committee,” not a “Police Advisory Board.” You don’t need THE PLANET to tell you there’s a gulf’s difference between “oversight” and “advice.” A PAB would have gums. A POC, if […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 20, 2018) — Apropos to nothing but in some tangential way related to everything, THE PLANET 51 years ago today sat in Fenway Park, rf-line boxes and watched in disbelief as The Impossible Dream Red Sox swept the contending Angels in a doubleheader […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 17-19, 2018) — “Progressive.” Etymologically speaking, it’s the substitute for “liberal,” a term that the left has abandoned after being found guilty of flipping its original meaning (“personal freedom restrained only by personal responsibility”) to something out of a political […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 15, 2018) — We can finally put “Picnicgate” to rest. D.A. candidate Andrea Harrington did not, repeat DID NOT, “crash” the sheriff’s picnic. THE PLANET obtained word from Congressman Richie Neal’s office that Harrington attended the event on invitation from Neal. She had […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 11, 2018) — It’s been clear since the race began that the contest for the Democratic nomination for Berkshire County District Attorney would not be about issues. For those just tuning in, this election will be decided in September, since there […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 10-12, 2018) — Before THE PLANET gets into part two of our museum series, let’s confirm two things, each pertaining to the D.A.’s election. First, Andrea Harrington did attend the sheriff’s picnic. Harrington, however, told THE […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 8, 2018) — In Adelson and Company’s recent audit of the Berkshire Mausoleum, you find near the end, buried under a lot of previous numbers and verbiage, the following sentence: “In 2015, the Berkshire Museum Board of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 5, 2018) — If you ever had any doubts about the rampant corruption that has become the once-great city of Pittsfield (pop. 38,000 and dropping), the inherent pressures of recent events have forced the slime to the surface and into the sun. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 3-5, 2018) — Welcome to early August, a month where nature begins to prepare for fall and winter. As the month passes, you will see the plants and trees seemingly lose energy. Actually, in their wisdom and efficiency, they are […]
