BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 19, 2020) — Boston is going to do it. Why not Pittsfield? THE PLANET asks. We think we know why. What is “it?” From the Boston Herald two days ago: “Boston will conduct a ‘full data review’ of all the college, medical and […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION 16-8, 2020) — Today, THE PLANET lays out three scenarios for Nov. 3 and the day after. A. On Nov. 4, America will wake up to a new president-elect, Joe Biden. Here’s why: Democrats have $85 million more in reserved ad […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 14, 2020) — THE PLANET‘s column on Columbus Day had within it a subtext on diversity training. Like most programs with decent goals, such training has proven to be a waste of money for one simple reason: You can’t force a change […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 12, 2020) — Today is Columbus Day, honoring the great explorer Christopher Columbus. It’s about time. The poor guy has been battered about lately by the cowards who know he can’t fight back. Those who will take up the cause for him, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 9-11, 2020) — With blissful downtime coming our way, THE PLANET dusts the office furniture and cleans a fraction of the rhetorical “junk drawer.” GRIN & BARRETT — “I’ve seen this before, and it’s not pretty. Critics of Judge Amy Coney […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 10/7/20 — Here are the details of today’s near-fatal stabbing in Pittsfield: This morning at approximately 8:40 AM Pittsfield Police, Pittsfield Fire, and County Ambulance responded to the report of a stabbing on Weller Avenue in Pittsfield. The victim was immediately transported to Berkshire Medical […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 5, 2020) — One of most serious setbacks for U.S. citizens came after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when the Patriot Act suspended habeas corpus, a constitutional guarantee of a person’s protection from false arrests. Nearly 20 years later, We the People […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 2-4, 2020) Given that there will only be ONE ISSUE from here to Nov. 3, THE PLANET today follows up our previous column, dashed off minutes after Trump-Biden 1 (T-B1). With time to reflect, we also engaged in a political experiment […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY SEPT. 30, 2020) — The best part of last night’s first presidential debate wasn’t even there. THE PLANET refers the silent, socially-distanced, audience. Who won last night? The audience. The spectators at the Cleveland Clinic at Case Western University remained quiet, a remarkable […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 28, 2020) — Today marks the 60th anniversary of Ted Williams hitting a home run at Fenway Park off Baltimore’s Jack Fisher. The day before, we sat behind the Red Sox dugout for The Kid’s penultimate game. Ted’s 521st in his final […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION SEPT. 25-7, 2020) — THE PLANET needs help. We’re trying to figure out why the city won $238,826 in grants from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). On Tuesday , the state approved and funded Pittsfield’s grant application under the Shared […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY SEPT. 23, 2020) — THE PLANET, while quick to acknowledge the late Ruth Ginsberg’s achievement in the field of law, can’t help but wonder about the overreaction to her death. The adulation of the young and woke masses reflects one simple phenomenon,that has, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 21, 2020) — THE PLANET tips the Hamburg to the first day of fall. We also tip the derby to the Berkshire Eagle‘s Jenn Smith, whose final day there is Oct. 2. After that, she heads to bigger and better things at […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION SEPT. 18-20, 2020) — It’s not been the best of times for Berkshire County district attorney Andrea Harrington. She appears for a photo-op with Joe Kennedy and the homeless at Springside Park. Not long after, one of the park “residents” commits […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEDNESDAY SEPT. 16, 2020) — Today begins Pittsfield’s official water restriction. Apropos, given that our discussion today involved water. First, here’s the city’s release on the details of the water plan: City of Pittsfield – Mandatory restrictions in effect, Wed, Sept. 16 ———- ooo […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 14, 2020) — THE PLANET has obtained a copy of the civil action Barry Clairmont, husband of Mayor Linda Tyer, has filed against for council president and mayoral candidate Melissa Mazzeo. We present it here in its entirety without comment, except to […]
