FINALS ARE COMING, AND THE PLANET IS STUDYING HARD … or … A FEW MODEST OBSERVATIONS
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MAY 29-31, 2026) — Thoughts while studying for finals:
Da D.A.: THE PLANET spent nearly two hours at 7 North St. with D.A. Tim Shugrue getting the lowdown and high down. It’s nice to be able to enter the office and not risk a frame-up for, who knows, flowering a feathered flounder. Tim’s predecessor, Wrong Way, fantasized about seeing us in handcuffs on her orders. We once told Andrea Doria that when she sentenced us to 99 years, we would remark to the press: “At least it isn’t life.”
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Mug ‘n Java: Shugrue’s got the coolest 250th anniversary kitsch we thus far seen: A commemorative mug with a musket-fired lead ball embedded in the side. The office also stocks the best coffee in town. FYI, the java’s from Six Depot in West Stockbridge.
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Mural, Mural on the Wall: The mural being painted on the north wall of 7 North St. is borderline spectacular. THE PLANET would make one change–get rid of the ugly motorcyclist in the lower left and replace it with the black bear. The artist nailed the ballplayer with the old-time uniform. Well done.
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Easy Dough: Wanna make some quick money? Print up bumper stickers that read: “I survived the Hubbard Avenue underpass.”
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Accuracy: Speaking of the underpass, just before you get to it heading south, there’s a traffic sign on the right warning “Caution: Dip in Road.” Considering how official Bitchfield has forever ignored this piece of rubble, it might better read: “Caution: Dipshit Did This Road.” The noun can refer to the mayor or the head of public works. Take your pick.
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Fat: Give Gov. Healey the “Waste Your Money Award for Administrative Bloat.” Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski just found out that our “openly lesbian” guv added to the state payroll by 10.6%, hitting 46,408 positions. Since 2019, public sector jobs in the Taxachusetts grew by nearly 15,000, eating up a quarter of the entire state budget. Bitchfield enjoys the same status, with our “openly gay” mayor spending like crazy on one foolish project after another.
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Runway Runaway: Speaking of foolish projects, Bitchfield will get Yet Another multimillion airport repaving. This time it’s $2.4 million of taxpayer dollars Lumpy will give to the “in” contractors. It’s enough for THE PLANET to put every smartphone on Bear Creek on “airplane mode.” The runway is the most repaved piece of land in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Rigorous: “I feel like we ended in a very positive way for the [graduation council], and so now we’re in the process of finalizing those recommendations with the goal of hopefully very soon revealing the final report.” Thus spake Pedro Martinez, state Department of Education commissioner, in a prime example of incomprehensible bureaucraspeak. The Graduation Council, another layer of bureaucracy added after voters chucked MCAS in 2024, set “rigorous requirements,” according to Martinez. No one knows what they are. THE PLANET‘s spies have the scoop: Any high school senior who can spell “cat” after being spotted the “c” and the “a” will graduate with high honors. Hmmmm. We liked Pedro better when he hurled pills for the Red Sox.
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“Painful Cuts”: Don’t you love that mayor Lumpy referred to “painful cuts” when he waddled to the podium and presented his FY27 “austerity” budget of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. With a “B.” The “pain” to which Lumpy refers adds an extra $10,452,778 million dollars to the out-of-control city spending. O, the humanity!
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Dumpster Diving: Meanwhile, council president Earl “Dumpster” Persip III was seen wandering behind Paul Rich Furniture on North Street, site of his most famous accomplishment. When asked what he was doing, Dumpster said he was hunting “someone who looked like me.” The police directed him to the Mercer building on First Street. Maybe Earl should head to the Madison and ask for a “double.”
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Rail Time: THE PLANET has a better idea. How about taxpayers petition the telephone company for a few extra wooden poles. The stanchions are long enough to run several political bums out on one rail, tarred and feathered. Our initial candidates: Every city councilor except Kathy Moody, every school committee member except Ciara Batory and Carolyn Barry, Queen Latifah of the Schools, and Ricky Rumpus of the Highway Department. If you have other nominees for the rail ride, submit them to the Fortress of Solitude.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
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“Pittsfield politicians rest before they get tired” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Copyright (c) 2026 By Dan Valenti, PLANET VALENTI and EUROPOLIS MANAGEMENT. All rights reserved. The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. Those who leave comments own all the responsibilities that are or can be attached to those comments, be they rhetorical, semantic, or legal. Such commentators remain solely responsible for what they post and shall be and remain solely accountable for their words. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in, but not limited to, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. We serve as a marketplace of ideas, without prejudice and available to all. All users of this site — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else — hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice and their use of/participation in this site. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer.
Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti presented a $243.2 million spending plan for fiscal year 2027. This represents a 3.1 percent increase over the previous year. The city’s continuous multi-million dollar annual spending increases far outpace those of peer small cities in Massachusetts by tens of millions of dollars per fiscal year, which places an undue burden on local residential and commercial taxpayers.
The community is frustrated with Pittsfield City Hall’s over-spending of taxpayer dollars. The financial impact on common households and small businesses is painful. The Mayor and City Councilors will take their final vote on the proposed fiscal year 2027 municipal budget on Tuesday evening, June 09th, 2026.
The answer is for the city to make major structural changes to its financial management policies. But instead, the city level-funded the fiscal year 2027 municipal budget by adjusting it to recent inflation levels. Now, inflation is around 4-percent instead of 3-percent, which means that City Hall’s financial geniuses may have to add even more spending to the close to one-quarter-BILLION-dollar municipal budget that runs from July 01, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
Earl and the 2-Pete’s Pittsfield politics pounds, pummels, pulverizes, punishes people’s purses!
What will grow BIGGER faster? Will it be the Mayor’s BIG beer belly OR will it be Pittsfield’s continued excessive spending of Kapan$ki Ka$h?
Sarcasm: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and “Jon Melle the have NOT” will pay off all of Pittsfield’s huge public debts plus unfunded liabilities because when we paste wings on pigs, they can fly high above the would-be FORENSIC AUDIT of Kufflink’s cooked books that never seems to have a chance to take place.
John, you’re on to something with your Westfield comparison. There 2027 proposed budget is 180 Million or 63 Million less than Pittsfields. There City has 2,000 less in population, but they have slightly more students in their School District. They also are also larger than Pittsfield area wise. How can this be? They actually respect the tax payers and don’t live in the past. 3 Fire Stations, not 5, 9 Schools not 12 , do not spend 1.8 million on a Library doubling as a Homeless Daycare, equipped with a full time Social Worker.
When Jon talks about Westfield, he is always spot on.Those who defend the theft like to compare Bitchfield to northampton (?!). Those who see theft look at Wesfield or Fitchburg. Lots of theft there too, but not as greedy.
Dan
What did Timmy say?
Tom
TOM
Lots to say, actually. The meeting was a backgrounder.
Eagerly awaiting his answers to numerous, murders in Dalton & Hinsdale, his investigators (former Dalton PD all) covered up .
Professional Courtesy…
My comments , receive a “not acceptable” notice, new way of censoring my criticism of Timmy?
5/29/26@4;15pm
Tom
NO, TB, it’s perfectly true and honest. Who can argue that “Not Acceptable” is nothing other than a fact?
It looks like the Bitchfield Pubic Scohol Comite is not going to release the PHS report that we paid for.
Pittsfield Schools Won’t Release PHS Report / iBerkshires.com – The Berkshires online guide to events, news and Berkshire County community information.
The way the GOBSIG’s are trying to bury this report, it leads me to two conclusions as to why.
1.. I believe the two judges from the DEI law firm did next to nothing to collect that $155,000. Most of their expense was “travel,” to and from Springfield to Bitchfield to make phone calls.
They made phone calls and that was it. If the victim (reporting party) doesn’t answer, “couldn’t locate witness,” would be my bet is what was notated in the report.
Do you honestly think two 60+ year-old women, retired judges to boot (upper crust), are really going into the Westside and investigate anything?
No, me either.
2. I believe former failed mayor, Linda “Flat” Tyer-Clairmont, was aware of the scandal and chose to bury it.
By her choosing to bury her head in the sand, Flat has more than likely made herself and the city financially liable for this negligence on her part.
Being aware that there were pedophiles in the school and doing nothing about it, is not a “slip of the mind, forgetfulness” that normal adults are OK with.
Speaking of useless, where has the “education champion,” also known as the MA Illegal Aliens State Rep, Tricia Farley-Country Buffet (d-illegal aliens), been on this issue?
TFCB ran a campaign on being the “children’s advocate.” I guess I didn’t see the asterisk behind advocate.
I looked closer, it states, “I am the children’s advocate, as long as it doesn’t implicate a friend (GOBSIG), a wealthy donor, or an illegal alien.”
Thanks, MARK. This decision by the cowards on the sochol kummittee speaks for itself about the state of corruption in the city. It’s cold and it’s deep.
Bernard Baran:Dan Ford::Jon Melle:Nuciforo
Blogger Dan Valenti wrote to me that he knows that I was hurt in Pittsfield politics.
The PHS students and others are not the only ones.
Mayor Peter Marchetti is a corrupt piece of shit in Bitchfield. I am embarrassed that he is my relative (as we share the same great-grandparents who emigrated to America from Italy well over one century ago).
You have to admit Andy is a very cute man with a charming personality.
John
You hit the nail on the thumb.
Seems your attachment, to past injustice, leaves you complaining, not repairing the cause of injustice.
Daniel Ford was also a perpetrator of judiciary sexual assault, and intimidation of victims /witnesses of their criminal activities.
Given a judgeship, to continue his criminal conduct from the bench, like a Catholic pedophile the Trial court , moved him as allegations arose.
Seeing the pattern yet?
PHS investigative report, was written, before the investigation, typical of commonwealth investigating itself.
With Blue Slip approved Federal Prosecutors and judges, the criminal conduct remains
The Commonwealth is a Racketeering Influenced Criminal Organization, run by the political elitists , judges and Bar Association.
The reason Trump is so feared , hated and resisted, Trump is an outsider, who is exposing the criminal Organization.
Lucifero is going to be busy dealing with the corruption of cannabis licensing corruption, soon.
Al Capone didn’t get convicted of murder, he died in prison over tax evasion.
If the door don’t open, the window will…
Mueller’s DOJ and FBI is being sanitized, and restaffed , and a special prosecutor is waiting.
Justice moves slow, until it breaks through, then the rats try to save themselves…
5/30/26@7:00am
Tom
“The reason Trump is so feared , hated and resisted, Trump is an outsider, who is exposing the criminal Organization.”
Should be absolutely obvious to anyone here unhappy with local politics.
There will be no justice or reform for the Commonwealth. The have gerrymandered each seat tailored to the last dead man.
Also there is far too much conflict of interest when the likes of Lumpy or other administrators are sitting on the school boards.
They become the problem for using a system of feelings and special interests as their guide.
Dan
Cowards on kummitee?
Timmy covering for collogues in courts, is definitely more likely.
Notice the similarities , with latest murder by cops, Jimmy Lazynski , Hinsdale again assisted by Dalton Police Department, and the Hoax perpetrated upon myself?
Feds didn’t miss it.
Your missing the real story of Fixer Timmy’s soon demise.
He may be second shortest serving distracted attorney in Berkshire county.
5/29/26@4;20
Tom
Thanks, TOM. Timmy will be re-elected in November. He’s unopposed thus far.
Dan
Can a prosecutor work from prison?
Timmy won’t be getting, the Racheal “Road Rage”Rollins treatment. Autopen let Rollins and Joeseph slide, Timmy going to be made a National example of…
Timing is everything…
Notice Odumbers fixer judge “Hot Pants” Ross , of election rigging scheme, is now making headlines?
Judges that are proven liars, won’t be useful to Demonrats legal gymnastics anymore.
Judicial conduct commissions are a joke, around 1500 complaints, of misconduct in Taxatwoshits Trial court judges alone.
Impotent John Robert’s will be remembered as the worst Chief Justice in SCOTUS history.
First step, clear corrupt judges, from US District , court, then bring the cases. Where intellectual elitists fail, industrial society will succeed.
Civil Rights Division will be having a say in upcoming election cycle,
It’s not the crime that ends careers, it’s the conspiratorial cover ups.
NEVER LET A GOOD SCANDAL GO TO WASTE
Timmy been busy , concealing more than PHS scandals…
Whether it’s intentional or negligence, matters not,
Timmy the fixer is at the end of his career,
Who investigated the fire, which conveniently destroyed his files ?
You’re way behind, a story , you’re a principal character in.
Timmy was Merideaths first , fixer
Till you messed that up…
Seeing the pattern yet?
Can’t see the forest through the trees? Or Hear no, See no, Speak no evil?
5/30/26@7:25an
Tom
Well it’s just like the other elections. Lumpy or Karol or Shugrue,Trump or Biden. See the pattern.
The lady overseeing the field trip where the girl was drowned should have done time.
D C F dropped the ball twice with the girl murdered on Plunkett st. And the Baby dying in the care of the Tuckers. There are many more. Dan likes the D A cuz he gives him an interview.
Don’t forget the huge payout to Ali Shepard for her pie buffett!
Who’s threatening to sue? it’s definitely NOT Molly West who ALLEGEDLY went to the prom with students and boozed with them up in north county
100%
There is strong reason to believe that Shephard’s Pie was in fact served.
Such flaccid leadership to actually pay that woman on her way out the door. Pittsfield Proud!
“This comment is not acceptable.”
Who neutered the Planet? Sheesh.
No one.
Dan
Not just myself being censored obviously, Timmy take your keyboard away?
5//30/26@7:40am
Tom
Al
Timmy the fixer?
Tom
Rail Nominee #1: DEI Director Michael O. His committee of the whole finance meeting was a trainwreck. Guy has a $200k – plus dept. and has no idea how to submit receipts
receipts are racist. I would know
BRATT has the likely answer. Prolly in Bitchfield, receipts are considered racist.
Dan.Didn’t think I’d ever say this. East side Pizza is better than it’s ever been. Got a pepperoni and anchovi delicious.
How much?
Trumps full of shehite. He can make a few hundred million by holding off on the Iran. We proposal. Big sell off today. I’m saying he doesn’t except it. You Trump Buffoons. Aside….Trumps kid got a 600 million dollar loan.
It ain’t t right Dan.
Even if not fraudulent you can be sure it wasn’t a valid use of taxpayer money. Only thing I’ve heard about him doing in 3 years was slipping diversity into Miss Hall’s
Nothing to see here!
REDACTED
Any and all DIE should be eliminated including the city side and school department side, cutting over half a mill in the process.
A half a mil that won’t be missed.
Feel nothing but complete disgust for the Pittsfield School Committee! Leader of the pack Mayor Peter Marchetti is a complete nasty liar that has such a hatred attitude towards women. He most definitely needs to attend anger management. He should also be removed from the committee. He has the whole City screwed up and now with his usual arrogance he is continuing to contribute to the complete failure of our school system. He has shown over and over he could care less about the taxpayers and their struggles with paying the highest property taxes in Massachusetts. For someone who spent his career in banking, he has NO CLUE how to manage money.
Heather McNeice (Miss Sweetie) really showed her true side the other night when she was taking over for Marchetti. The way she screamed at Ciara Batory and also kept interrupting Ciara was totally uncalled for. She certainly showed she has joined the good ole Pittsfield network. She has no right to treat others like they are little children. Now that I see her “real” side I wish I had not voted for her, will never again.
Sarah Muil is a complete basket case, she has no clue what is going on. Her best bet is to shut her mouth until she can learn what she is doing as a school committee member. Poor Katherine Yon (the Dementia Joe of Pittsfield) has been absent for several meetings. The sad thing is even with her confusion she has Sarah Muil beat as far as understanding what her role is. Sarah is pathetic.
Elias should never have been re-elected. He has been useless for 28 years.
Want to thank Ciara for working for the taxpayers. Also, thanks to Carolyn, although I wish she would start speaking up and add support to Ciara.
Did read on another site that a couple of Mayor Marchetti’s supporters were critical regarding the sweater Ciara wore to the meeting. One woman named Ginny was upset Ciara was showing a little cleavage!!! How ironical that Marchetti’s supporters find fault in a woman’s sweater, yet they don’t hear a word Ciara is saying to find transparency for taxpayers, but evidently they feel there was NO PROBLEM with Ali Shepard posting her vagigi on Facebook to students. How much more pathetic can these Marchetti supporters get?
What a terrible state Pittsfield is in and there is no hope to change because leaders lie and don’t follow rules.
I don’t like looking at lumpers barrell belly. Ciara wasn’t showing anymore than Latifa. And your right about Muil she actually voted opposite of the rescind vote and had to be corrected. Might be tough being the sister of the celebrity,so will give her a mulligan.
Post of the year, Merry.
Did heather just join the network or was she always really there? Pretty hard to get elected in Pittsfield if you do not commit to that agenda before the election. They have a powerful union lobby that backs a candidate that commits to the fealty piece of local politics ahead of time. If you watch them and listen to them, you can see they are pretty much all cut from the same useful idiot mold.
The self portrait was allegedly posted on Snapchat.
Just spent a good hour writing a comment only to be told that my “comment is unacceptable”. Wonder if it ever says that to Jon Melle who posts pages and pages every day, I give up!
M&B
Can you repost the comment? If that happened, it’s a mistake.There have 232,528 approved comments on this board. Not one of them was turned down because the “comment is unacceptable.”
Dan is happening a lot, no matter the subject. But then sometimes it shows up anyway.
Dan
Think you’ lost the narrative, fact is your censoring comment’s
.
While I’ve been censored, for years, seems after your visit to Distractied Attorneys Office, now many commenters and being silenced.
“Voice of the little guy “ ?
We’ll have fun, fun, fun, till Timmy takes the keyboard away…repeat of 2012 without the headlines for now.
Ever heard of consciousness of guilt? pretty evident Timmy has it bad…:)
“ first lesson in holes, when you’re in one stop digging”
So Simple a Yankee Farmer gets it, but intellectual elitist hubris of judiciary protection, keeps them digging.
Timmy doing a great job of burying himself,
5/30/26@7:55am
Tom
TOM
No censoring on this board. Not a drop. Your last sentence is spot on … if you eliminate the final three words.
Dan, had to repost 3 or 4 times, each time it had that comment, then it finally went through. Reading it is happening to others.
Let me check into it. Probably a tech thing. As they make “improvements” to streaming, platforms are getting more finicky. We’re thinking of upgrading to typewriters!
Just spent a good hour writing a comment only to be told that my “comment is unacceptable”. Wonder if it ever says that to JM who posts pages and pages every day, I give up!
I had that happen a couple times yesterday and it eventually posted
Mine finally posted. It’s frustrating though.
Yep it’s now telling me my comments about Elias’s quote that one individual in PPS has been investigated for 30 years is unacceptable.
Yeah it’s not my comment that’s unacceptable and I hope it does post cuz
THIRTY YEARS???
How much did that cost us?
Did anybody else notice in the iBerkshires article about the files not being released to us that Elias is quoted saying ” one individual has been investigated for 30 years”.
THIRTY YEARS????!
How much did that cost us?
And what level of incompetence is that?
I don’t believe he misspoke. I think he let something slip accidentally and that we will see it retracted in 3…2…1
243 million dollar budget. For real?
Yeah. Quarter of a BILLION. For a failing product.
Can we get a lost of the peeps who been there 30 years please?
I would like to see a list of all things to people employed by it’s really public schools from the assistant to the assistant to the assistant to the custodian to the superintendent.
Read another article this weekend that said 20 years, but still, that’s DECADES.
Maybe he was reflecting on the former sheriff?
Funny!
I watched a YouTube video on how casinos trap gamblers with debts without the same legal protections as many other financial products and services. While the casinos offer structured installments for indebted gamblers to pay them back, the casinos are able to press criminal charges on the indebted gamblers who do not do so.
It got me to think about the government’s role in debts and other liabilities. I believe that the government is an insurance policy for the big financial institutions and the Federal Reserve Bank that favors Wall Street over Main Street.
The difference between casinos and the career politicians is that a person is able to choose not to gamble, avoid casinos, and win by thinking financially about one’s own life, while the government is only benefiting the wealthy and deficit spending out country into oblivion.
It is like a person who has to choose if they want to be shot in the arm or in the leg. If I owed money in Las Vegas, they can extradite me from New Hampshire to Nevada. If I owed money to the government, they can take my home and/or garnish my income.
I am not Wall Street with its history of bailouts. I am not the Pentagon requesting $1.5 trillion to spend on war. I am not Mayor BIG Beer Belly with a record-breaking operating budget proposal. I know that casinos do NOT protect my purse. I know that the government can put me and others in debt, too.
JM, after watching Hussein, via Autopen, try and cancel student debt/loans and dump that financial albatross on the working classes back, I understand why you don’t comprehend a legal debt you signed your name to.
In the casino, or any other financial business that offers loans (money), YOU SIGN the acknowledgment THAT THE DEBT IS YOURS.
Unless you put collateral of equal or more against that loan (debt), they want THEIR MONEY.
So, if you sign for money in LV and split thinking you got one over on the casinos and then find a couple of NH Troopers at your front door locking you up, the only person to blame is YOU.
Hope that helps.
You’ve crapped out too many times on this block to be believable.
May 30, 2026
I have never been to Las Vegas. I have been to casinos in New Hampshire, Springfield, Mass., Schenectady, NY, West Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, and the casino boat(s) off off Little River near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I have never borrowed money to gamble.
I have played the state lottery, too. I understand that I am a hypocrite because I have studied public administration, including that the state lottery is really regressive taxation that greedy lobbyists such as Dan Bosley love to pretend to hate because it allows them to have state lawmakers give BIG tax breaks to their BIG businesses clients that do not exist in areas such as most of Western Massachusetts.
I am financially literate, but I am NOT an expert on financial management like the aforementioned Dan Bosley, who is very intelligent when it comes to government and finance. He even lets me know that I am unable to beat him on his platform points in his political letters and op-eds due to his high level of intelligence.
How could Dan Bosley be so smart, but also so GREEDY?
The U.S. population as a whole is many trillions of dollars in debt. It does NOT help the middle-class family structure, nor does it help small businesses stay afloat and profitable.
Casinos in Las Vegas are extraditing gamblers from other states who do NOT repay their gambling debts that they borrowed from the casino(s). I am NOT one of them, but I think it is scary for people who excessively gamble to be tourists in Las Vegas only to be brought back there on criminal charges.
The lottery and government in general should NOT be making MONEY off of gambling, high taxes and fees, and other regressive taxation schemes that mostly benefit multi-billion-dollar BIG businesses and the greedy lobbyists who they hire to get them BIG tax breaks that causes economic and financial harm to regions of the state and country such as Western Massachusetts, which is always receiving under-funded local aid from Boston’s corrupt state government.
Jon Melle
Don’t know why you can go to your local stores and make a wager like the lottery? It is legal to wager,right?
Oh. And there was a murder here the other night.
Gambling, Jon, is a tax on people who are bad at math.
May 30, 2026
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
In a CORRUPT city with covered-up alleged school scandals, 6-figure NDA’s, the 6-figure legal report that won’t be released to the public, the Level 5 WORST rating of Pittsfield public schools, the closing of Morningside Elementary School with the highest rate of high needs students in Pittsfield (Mass.), 679 students per the 2025 – 2026 academic year who chose to choice out to neighboring public school districts, the fiscal year 2027 over $4 million school budget deficit, the sitting Mayor’s proposed record-breaking close to one-quarter-of-one-billion-dollar municipal operating budget that outspends Pittsfield’s peer small cities by tens of millions of dollars per fiscal year, Peter Marchetti named in Victoria May’s settled lawsuit against a Pittsfield bank whereby then bank manager Peter Marchetti (now Mayor) allegedly called his co-worker subordinate Victoria May a “BITCH”, and so on, it is CIARA BATORY who is being called out by a letter writer in The Berkshire Eagle newspaper.
This is the latest edition of Pittsfield politics edition of The Twilight Zone!
Jon Melle
—–
Letter: “I take issue with Pittsfield School Committee member’s conduct”
The Berkshire Eagle, May 30, 2026
To the editor: I write as a member of the Pittsfield community to express serious concern regarding the conduct of School Committee member Ciara Batory.
In my view, her behavior demonstrates a troubling lack of understanding of the role and responsibilities of a School Committee member. These concerns include repeated difficulty following basic standards of decorum, ineffective and confrontational communication with colleagues and a tendency to frame criticism as personal attacks rather than engaging in productive dialogue. Her frequent use of the term “transparency” often seems more performative than substantive, raising questions about whether she fully understands the meaning and purpose of transparent governance.
Ms. Batory repeatedly claims to speak on behalf of “the public,” a characterization I strongly reject. In fact, she received 2,388 votes — the second-fewest among the six elected School Committee members — representing only a fraction of Pittsfield voters. This does not justify presenting herself as the singular voice of the community.
As a clinical social worker with 26 years of professional experience, I find Ms. Batory’s behavior concerning and erratic. She appears more focused on cultivating attention through social media engagement than on thoughtfully addressing the complex needs of the district and its students. Too often, her public conduct feels contrived rather than solution-oriented.
Additionally, Ms. Batory frequently appears to rely on scripted talking points while demonstrating limited understanding of the broader issues facing the district. At a time when Pittsfield Public Schools should be focused on supporting students, families, teachers and staff through the closure of Morningside Community School, the restructuring of middle schools and implementation of an equity-based budget, Ms. Batory seems singularly fixated on the Pittsfield High School report, despite the significant distraction and division it continues to create. Those who take the time to speak directly with students hear many of them express concern that releasing the report publicly could cause more harm than good. This raises an important question: Whom exactly is she advocating for, the broader community and students or a loud minority of online supporters?
Finally, Ms. Batory frequently speaks against equity-based initiatives while simultaneously claiming to support fairness and inclusion. Her comments suggest a misunderstanding of what educational equity actually means and why it matters in a public school system serving students with diverse needs and experiences.
Pittsfield deserves School Committee members who lead with professionalism, collaboration, informed decision-making and a genuine commitment to students above personal agendas or public attention.
Heidi Riello, Pittsfield
—–
How much does one get paid for a hit piece like that?
So, this woman Heidi, says she has 26 years of “professional” experience! I don”t feel that publicly analyzing a person, especially posting your thoughts in the newspaper TOO PROFESSIONAL. How many of the current wackadoodles that walk the streets of Pittsfield raising havoc have been her clients?
Maybe Ciara was not the highest vote receiver, but in Pittsfield that is a good thing, it means the candidate IS NOT in the good ole crooked network of Pittsfield. It means that the candidate WILL NOT go along with the network. Heidi is critical of Ciara reading from rules, at least she is reading them, not like the other members who admitted to not reading them, even Mayor Lumpy.
Fair point, M&B, about the “professionalism” of her letter. Love that last sentence of your first paragraph!
May 31, 2026
Hello blogger Dan Valenti,
Did the letter writer ever take the time to talk to Ciara Batory before saying negative things about her recent actions to release the legal report on the Pittsfield School Committee that ended up being unsuccessful?
I do NOT believe that most people understand how mean-spirited it is for outsiders who speak out against the career politicians in Pittsfield politics.
When “Jon Melle the have NOT” speaks, writes, posts, blogs, about the institutional corruption in my native hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, it has been decades of RETRIBUTION. They wouldn’t offer me a job if my life depended on it in Pittsfield. My pretend homeless sidewalk is on the corner of First Street and Fenn Street in Pittsfield where I would give the middle-finger to my relative, the sitting Mayor, and his rubber stamp cronies.
Coming from Pittsfield, and living in Southern New Hampshire for the past over 22 years of my close to 51-year-old adult life, I am fortunate to be a disabled Veteran instead of of being an at-risk homeless resident of my native hometown full of political insiders who hate me, especially when it comes to one millionaire who I write about below. Most of them refuse to speak to blogger Dan Valenti, too.
It is a corrupt “PAY to PLAY” system of local government run by political insiders in Pittsfield who serve the vested interests (the corrupt unions) and the special interests (the millionaires).
The fictional Kapanski family is treated like Earl and the 2-Pete’s Pittsfield politics’ ATM, a doormat on a good day, and worse (a toilet that they…) on a bad day.
Also, I tried to post a written reply to a post about Nuciforo on PlanetValenti.com this weekend, but it was predictably edited out completely because Nuciforo walks on water in Pittsfield, while “Jon Melle the have NOT” is silenced on the subject.
I wonder if I lived in a $1 million mansion in Pittsfield’s elitist Gated Community west of Berkshire Community College close to the Hancock border like Nuciforo, who is only 0.3 miles away from former Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer and her 3rd husband CPA Barry Clairmont’s mansion, if I would walk on water in Pittsfield, too.
At least I am relieved that I am not an elected official in Pittsfield politics because I would not want a judgmental career Social Worker to write a letter to The Berkshire Eagle stating that I was wrong for speaking my mind about the underage the age of 18 students allegedly being sexually exploited by adult workers at my Alma Mater, PHS (Class of 1993), in the face of Mayor/Chair Peter Marchetti and a majority of the Pittsfield School Committee’s refusal to release the 6-figure, taxpayer-funded legal report to the public.
Best wishes,
Jon Melle
Fair points.Since when is the truth only Fair ?
The Author…. Dans problem is he thinks it is important to have inclusion,not unlike.. d e I principles. Doesn’t he understand he holds the torch? Dan you don’t need political inclusion. Dan, tou are anti establishment including Timmy the Fixer.
Maybe the Planet is insecure and needs the fixer in case something goes down again and is playing quid pro quo with the fixer.
Dan.You are a success as an Author and Blog-Sports columnist and exceptional interviewer. Stay on course. That is your Legacy.
Heidi Riello is the school adjustment counselor at PPS, so that explains her anti Ciara letter.
Remember, the two most dangerous people in the room is the person with nothing to lose and the person with everything to lose.
What does Heidi know, and when did she know it?
She is a mandated reporter.
Hmm…..
Parents of students, and students who were adjusted by Heidi need to come together and go public
Kind of sucks when your hit piece backfires and puts the spotlight on your role in the scandal. Such a meaningful word in Massachusetts journalism, spotlight.
Heidi, we don’t need Boston reporters when we have Dan and all of us Planeteers.
The biggest red flag for me is that she is calling out generation tech for using the most widely used form of communication in the 21st century, social media.
Time to age out of the system, Heidi. Take that early retirement before you cost us even more money.
Dan, the Planet needs a new award: The Desperate Housewife award. ( Does not have to be awarded to people who identify as female)
FOX
This is crucial information and puts Riello’s letter in proper perspective. Thanks for informing our readers.
Great statements here;
Not sure how many of you Planeters have Facebook, but if you do, take a look at Sara Auge’s post agreeing with Heidi Riello and her attack on Ciara Batory in the Eagle.
Sara is Heather McNiece’s sister BTW.
Not so much about Sara’s post, but the comments are gold.
This scandal is not going away. Sara even uses the “teachers union threatened to sue,” as a reason not to release the report.
Ciara should start a GoFundMe and accept their challenge and sue them for the release. One comment mentioned a few people allegedly named in the pedophile report got six-figure NDA settlements as golden parachutes.
Not sure if that’s true, but if it is, it tells me they were going to blow (no pun) the lid on everything-including the cover up (looking at you Flat). You don’t pay people off, unless….
Good info, MARK.
Dan…Ciara has what they call gonads. Not unlike yourself during the human being being planted on the vehicle windshield inquisition. Ciara is doing what the taxpayers that voted for her want. Transparency and a full release of the dancimg dean report.
What’s the problem? Release it. It was paid for by the Taxpayer. To the Lumpy Trust fund account. What the fuck is wrong with this City. The people who pay the taxes own it. Not some retired Judges,or phat Mayor nor the city Clowncil or Sochol school committee.
Wake up Bitchfield.
Wake the Fuck Up !
Dan
Timmy sure is doing a great job,
Did he tout his tough on crime agenda?
Shootings, stabbings and dregs on drugs. Oh my.
– Shitsfield is spiraling to the bottom, like every other solely Demonratic toilet.
Seeing the pattern yet?
Isn’t even warm out yet, and city is rife with crime,
BUT TRUMP….lol
5/31/26@6pm
Tom
Your actually correct,t b.. The fixer seems fixed on internet crimes,kid,relationships and mass home beatings of wives and kid neglect when the real crimeis flourishing like murder,shootings,knifings road rage.
You know the planet and the fixer better than they do.
Timmy is always for the next hired police chief. Or Sheriff. Or ,…..