THIS WEEK ON THE PLANET: HONORS AND AWARDS WEEK … NOMINEES SOUGHT BEFORE WEDNESDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY DEC. 28, 2020) THE PLANET closes out both the week and the year with Honors and Award Week (HAW). The highlights will be naming the winner of our Coveted Orbit Award — plus two introduction of two new honors!!
Over the years, the COA has assumed a heightened meaning owing to both the integrity of this site and its traffic. If you win an Orbit, you are seriously on the map. THE PLANET is the most visited media site in the area, which is why the global companies have sought to do business with us to buy ad space. As you know, THE PLANET refuses to accept local advertising to avoid any hint of editorial control existing anywhere other than Rug Row in the Fortress of Solitude. We alone decide what is written and published.
Winning a COA has come to assume legendary importance. Win an orbit, and you are a actor or actress who has just won an Oscar. On Wednesday, we shall announce our winner.
The kudos won’t end there, however. As we said, this week shall be HAW, which we intend to make an annual, year-end feature. Thus we proudly announce the establishment of:
- THE PLANET‘s Hall of Fame (PHOF).
- The Black Hole-White Dwarf Award (BHWDA).
Let us explain.
Our Hall of Fame will be just that — an acknowledgement and enshrinement of people who have through their lives and public contributions made Pittsfield a better place. Entrance to the PHOF can be thought of as a lifetime achievement award. We shall bestow this honor sparingly but in sufficient numbers as grace and virtue demand. On Wednesday, THE PLANET announces the first class of the PHOF. It will be a day for confetti, champagne, and ticker-tape.
The BHWDA (pronounced “Boo-wada”) will be the opposite of an Orbit. It will be an award of infamy acknowledging a public servant (or public servants in case of co-winners) who has set the cause of reform back to the Stone Ages and whose interventions have made Pittsfield an unsafe, unmaintained, unprofitable, and unpopular shrinking city. Our initial winner(s) for the BHWADA also will be announced Wednesday. Like the COA, the BHWADA shall reflect the actions of a Pittsfield public figure over the course of the given year. Like the Orbit and unlike the PHOF, it will not reflect lifetime achievement.
As you can guess, we have many names submitted for these honors.
We would therefore invite you to submit nominees — as many as you like — for these three categories:
- The Orbit — Who in 2020 best deserves the community’s highest honors?
- The PHOA — Who over a lifetime has made Pittsfield a better place?
- The BHWADA — Who in 2020 deserves the boos and raspberries for making life more miserable than it had to be? Who is this year’s Black Hole? This year’s White Dwarf?
THE PLANET is open for your last-minute suggestions. When our board meets and deliberates between now and tomorrow night, we shall take all suggestions with advisement.
Have a go!
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“Social media was invented as part of a plot to undermine the faith of sensible people in freedom of speech” — Journalist Michael Deacon.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Jim Ruberto made Pittsfield a better place by moving to Lenox.
The Orbit — Chris Connell (who challenged the rulers of Pittsfield politics who tried to oust him from his elected seat on the City Council or at least embarrass him)
The PHOA — Chuck Garivaltis (who still cares about old school Pittsfield over new school political hack Pittsfield politics)
The BHWADA — Matt Kerwood (record high municipal taxes, fees, and debts/liabilities, and his creative accounting where he “cooks the books” and sits on a +$10 million City Hall slush fund that should belong to the proverbial little guys named Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski)
The WORST Mayor of Pittsfield EVER: James M. Ruberto (who promised a Cultural Renaissance, but only gave the Kapanski family his annoying and lame snake oil salesman pitch)
No BHWADA goes to the Mayor for letting the Diana’s and Kufflinx run amuck.
I was thinking the same. Blaming Kerwood for doing what the boss says and wants and the mayor knows what is going on with those books. She can look at them anytime. JM can’t bring himself to putting blame where it should go.
The slush fund is for the New Police station I presume? And I’m sure the Planet will make the right choice. I for one am on the edge of my seat for this one. So many candidates. You really can’t go wrong though. And speaking of contribution? How about the Water Rate reducer?
But if he had gone to Madagaskar it woud have been much better. Still part of the poison pill Pittsfield suffers from.
I would like to nominate Terry Kinnas. Though he ran into many a brick wall with the cabal no one tried harder and cared more.
Alson Tony Muffucio who did what no city councilor has done in recent memory. He will be shunned and targeted but Pittsfield is a shithole mainly because others lack such courage.
Good Absurd Choice!
BHWADA award for lifetime idiocy should go to the Berkshire Eagle. It wouldn’t know the difference between a real news story or propaganda and if it did it would print the false propaganda story.
I believe they DO know the difference. They just choose to spin it to work for themseloves. Whichever way that might be at a given time.
Other future Awards
The Shut Up Mute Award At City Council Award
The Slush Fund Award
The Retreads Award
The Multiple Committees Award
The Media Propaganda At PCT Award
The Lady Boots Award
The JIV Honors Award
The Buffet Award
The Late Night At Cumby’s Award
The Night Time North Street Walk Award
The It’s a Domestic Awards
The Giveaway Grants Award
The Scorned Police Award or the Cocoa
The Newspaper Public Fund Award
The Back Rent Award
The Nuisance Award
The Me Me Me Award
The Covid to Rich People Award
The NIMBY Awards
The Water Rate Award
The Cheat In Spouse Award
The I can get that for you Award,but don’t have it on me Award
The Your doing a Great Job Award
Your a Giver Award
Many many more……But Thee Orbit has to be Sacred.
Excellent in the extreme, CURT!
My favorites: The You’re Doing a Great Job Award … The JIV Honors Award for Public Education … The Late Night at Cumby’s Award … The Retreads Award.
The I don’t need a Handout Award. Stan the Beacon Man and The Dentist…nominees…….
CT,
That was great! Thanks
You forgot the Wife Swapper Award. Maybe we all want to forget that ….
How about The Stanley Steamed the City award? Given to the businessman who’s con job took a city for the most taxpayer money with complicit help from a political connection in any given 10 year period.
Excellent choice.
I guess, as usual, I am a bit confused. Is the Orbit an award for contributions to this site, or to the life of the city? I had thought the latter.
My Nominees for the BHWADA are clearly two. The Mayor,JIV,The Stooge and Lady Boots. Any beyond these is,the fix was in. This might be the year that multiples are given with this New Award. Is it true that a Late Night At Cumby’s Award is on the horizon Dan?
Kufflinks has to get the BHWADA.
MR G
The Orbit is an annual award given to someone who has earned distinction by their public presence. It doesn’t necessarily mean magnificent accomplishment (Pete White won one for relentless posting on social media about the weather and his meals!), though it has gradually morphed into an acknowledgement of honor. It’s not for lifetime work, but work done over the previous year. Thanks for your valuable participation to this site, my good friend.
Maybe you can put-an asterisk next to Pete’s Award. An forget that one.
That should be and. Dan, what happens when a winner neglects to continue the contribution and becomes un worthy? You know,like O J winning the Heisman?
Late edition: The Three Stooges in Orbit Award. We the Kapanskis nominate none other than Mayor Tired, Rep. Bouvier de Do Nothing, and DA Wrong Way No Law No Order. In two short years working together, these three nitwits have not created – let alone funded – one single program that can match what previous administrations had in crime prevention, community education, training or coordination across local agencies. Meanwhile, their collective progressive genius has brought such dignity to our homeless…Their help has been immeasurable (because there is none) to countless (because there are none) people of color being warehoused in jail for breaking laws they can’t be expected to uphold. Will you vote for Nyuk, Nyuk and Nyuk!? Why soitenly!
The Orbit should go to Biden.
The Orbit goes only to local people.
OUI
My votes are:
Orbit: Tony Maffucio-to go against the status quo and especially a follow city councilor, this is true leadership.
PHOA- (1) Terry Kinnas-he’s always fought for the little man. You could see the look of pain on the city councils faces, as Terry walked up to the microphone.
(2) Peter Arlos (posthumously)-he once famously called Matt Kerwood, “Eddie Munster,” during a city council meeting.
BHWDA- (1) Helen Moon-is a lying, low-life, race baiter. Thinks white men are the evil of the world. Even lied about being arrested by white Boston cops. Helen is not smart enough to read the news. The Justice Department sued Yale on behalf on Asian and White students over Yale’s admission policies. Regardless, once you lie, in my book, your a piece of sh*t.
(2) Yuki Cohen-as along as Yuki can make money, legitimately or by begging, that’s all she cares about. Health be damned. But, when Yuki gets caught red handed with photographic evidence, does she apologize? Nope, instead, like I called in an earlier post, she took a page out of Helen Moon’s page and used race, single mom, as excuses to her violation of the laws. She then set up a GoFundMe to pay her fines. Talk about balls.
Maybe there will be a GFM award in the future.
Sure Barry, bend over and I’ll give you your award. That’s when your not out crime fighting at Cumby’s of course.
Barry, what’s the tax rate on go fund me?
Will she donate the overage of her GFM to a good cause? She raised more than needed to cover her stated goal for her violations.
I want to nominate Trump as a national numbskull.
You already hold that title, TSC!
Trump lives rent free in his head.
The New York Post is agreeing with you today. They hammered him after kissing his ass for four long years.
Too late,Rupert Murdochs Post and Fox Media know Trump is days away of throwing him under the bus as Trump is going to Own a media network in direct competition with Murdochs….In Trumps world Loyalty means nothing to this scumbag president.The dumb white Trump supporters with buy his subscriptions.Republican party and America are in ruins.Trump is the worst American ever letting those white mass murderers free.
He’s in your head. You can’t think about anything else.
The Orbit: Harrington like it or nor the argument before the Mass SJC kept the criminals behind bars during covid and for giving Moon the boot.
The BHWADA: Mazzeo loose with grace please! Phoa: PPD Darren Derby
Lose with grace? How about win with grace. Correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t it Barry Tyer suing the Mazzeo’s?
How about an award for the best guest on the hit show “Morning Drive”?
Brutal beating Award.
Terry Kinnas and Chris Connell candidates.
On a Board Award
Dina Lampilousy,J Low-candidates
Kid Gloves Award
The Yuke,Stanley Steamer. This Award will be Presented by Di Roofless.
The Bandwagon Award. This Award goes to guaranteed employment contingent on the Mayoral Victory by the Voters. The candidates are, The Sisters,Kufflinks,and of course Cardo the Great, who quite frankly should be the recipient based on the employees that are currently under him. A monumental task for sure. Cardo,keep the beard.
And finally, The can’t we get Along Award. Candidates are Dumpster Diver and Helen of Troy.
Hands down Lady Boots. Because just like the Show you can’t understand what she’s talking about.
PHOA vote would go to Jonathan Levine for the Gazette
I nominate Dan & the satellites for the coveted Cheers Award, because ~
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you’ve got
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
All those nights when you’ve got no lights
The check is in the mail
And your little angel
Hung the cat up by its tail
And your third fiance didn’t show
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name
Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee’s dead
The morning’s looking bright
And your shrink ran off to Europe
And didn’t even write
And your husband wants to be a girl
Be glad there’s one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
You want to go where people know
People are all the same
You want to go where everybody knows your name
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came
Where everybody knows your name
Orbit: Mike Daly
PHOA: Terry Kinnas
BHWDA: Barry Clairmont & Melissa Mazzeo
Excellent. Keep them coming. This makes the build-up for the Orbit all that More Important.
My Choice for the Orbit is Merry and Bright. Unlike the City Council I have a legitimate reason for this pick. Not all has been Merry or Bright in this City lately.
The Orbit Award: Tie between Mad Trapper and Mr. Fritz
The PHOA: Dan Valenti because of his concern for Pittsfield and its downward spiral which he sounds the alarm about with Planet Valenti.
The BHWADA: Tricia Farley Bouvier. She is only interested in the progressive agenda and illegal immigrants. She complained about the virus spread at Hillcrest Commons, but did nothing about it except blaming all of us who are wearing masks and not gathering in large groups.
The Cape Cod Award. This Award goes to former employees of the City who return from a hiatus at the Cape and points Southeast and return…. Candidates. Tony RiHeLLO,Di Ruffles, and The Diva,pending she comes back,also the latest entry,King Croll.
The Stooge was entered for this also. But he is over qualified living like a Carpetbagger going everywhere, all over the world. Has he been to the Moon? I’ll buy him a ticket.
Honorable mention to Edward R. Murrow for the Orbit Award. I know that gives me three, but they are all so good. Other good ones as well on this board, but I have to stop.
Yes, PAT. Many outstanding candidates — including you!
Dan getting his own Awards with be akin to Trump pardoning himself. I nominate and will Vote Merry and Bright,Connell, Maffuccio, Kinnas,Morandi, and any-others who has the joeloppuhs to stop the free ranging sheep in the Very Tired Administration and beyond.
ORBIT : Muffucio for making others in leadership positions across the board in the city to rethink doing business as usual. Hope it continues.
PHOA : Terry Kinnas for fighting the fight for all people.
BHWADA: Mayor Tyer
Agree. Mired has to get something other than Berries Lavish lifestyle.
First I would like to thank Dan for providing Planet Valenti. It is more informative and truthful than any other media site around. The camaraderie among bloggers has made a long difficult year a bit more tolerable even though we all don’t always agree.
Orbit Award – Kevin Morandi – Felt it was completely priceless when Kevin spoke up to the Mayor and caught her in a blatant lie to the taxpayers and she went completely speechless. Thought she was going to fall off her dining room chair. LOL
PHOA – Chris Connell and Kevin Morandi – Both men have endured a lot of unwarranted crap from their fellow councilors. Both men have handled it in a professional manner. Neither one of them whined and cried discrimination or started a Go Fund Me for themselves. Both men also have been working constantly for the taxpayers for years and have hit a brick wall because of Mayor Tyer’s hand picked puppets on the City Council, yet they still continue to advocate.
BHWADA – Mrs. Mayor Linda Tyer and Mr. Mayor Barry Clairmont – These two individuals have basically totaled the City of Pittsfield. They evidently both get off on bullying the taxpayers of Pittsfield. Mrs. Mayor is totally unreachable to taxpayers and I have yet to figure out exactly what her vision of Pittsfield is, especially since her allowing North Street to be turned into a jigsaw puzzle with pathetic cheap Christmas decorations. Her hubby Mr. Mayor is down right threatening on many social media sites calling people liars even though they are speaking the truth, myself included. Neither one have an ounce of professionalism, especially after Barry’s Cumbie’s stunt and then his “poor me” lawsuit towards Melissa Mazzeo. Linda’s dancing in streets performance was pathetic, especially after basically threatening taxpayers that they need to Stay Home due to the pandemic. Neither are role models for the City of Pittsfield. If you look back at previous Mayors and their spouses, when in the public they exemplified a professional classiness, they never pulled stupid idiotic publicity stunts.
May the best folks win.
Thanks again, Dan!
Merry and Bright gets it! I’m pulling for Chris,also and Kevin. The Charter Objection was brilliant. I thought Chris would-have made a great Council President. Don’t think he wanted Mayor? My PHOA goes to The G Man. He has a great chance to take the Water Project going forward. Never had a chance for the multi million cash fed Sewer.
M&B
Thanks goes to you for helping make this site a better one than it would be otherwise.
Orbit award should go to the Kapanski’s of Pittsfield who have endured all the pain and sorrow. They continue to show up and try to create a nice place to raise their families.
GREAT selection!!
Also the, Where do you Live now Award. Nominees are Mayor Squiggy,The Springside Park Caravaners, Carl the Fisherman, King Croll.
I am hoping in the new year that the city of Pittsfield will tell the citizens what voting machines they use and how they check voter rolls.
Here we go!
Trump takes PA!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/12/breaking-pennsylvania-certified-results-president-found-error-error-twice-size-difference-candidates/
Please. ITS over.
Massachusetts Speaker Bob DeLeo will step down from political office today (Tuesday, December 29th, 2020) after 30 years on Beacon Hill with a $135,000 per year taxpayer-funded state pension. He will go onto work for his alma mater Northeastern University in Boston so that he can shakedown Beacon Hill for additional millions of dollars in state government funds for Northeastern University. Bob DeLeo will soon collect a 6-figure state pension on top of his 6-figure sinecure at Northeastern University. It must be nice to be a career politician who is cashing in on 3 decades of disservices to Massachusetts taxpayers and his willingness to shakedown those same taxpayers to enrich himself and Northeastern University. Let us not forget Daniel Bosley, Peter Larkin, Stan Rosenberg, and countless other retired Beacon Hill lobbyists who are all shaking down Massachusetts taxpayers for their respective 6-figure lobbyists salaries on Beacon Hill on top of their taxpayer-funded state pensions. All of these selfish career politicians in Boston are shakedown artists that only do disservices against Massachusetts taxpayers. The political system only exist for corrupt insider career politicians to shakedown taxpayers for their own financial gain.
Jonathan I am glad you are finally seeing what the Democrats have evolved into. They are no longer the JFK ask what you can do for your country, they are the people owe me a great standard of living because I am a selected one. The only way to get our government back is to have at least another viable political party, so please stop voting Democrat
The BHWDA should go to BHS
True. For failing to stop the virus spread in their nursing homes and having no effective therapeutics against the virus at the hospital.
Yeah but they’re telling us how keep Covid safe. Have you seen the commercials on t v.? Practice what you preach Award. Nominies are Hillcrest Commons and the Covid Dancers..
Humana Humana Award goes to Kevin Morandi and Chris Connell, who left the Mayor Speechless and threw a monkey wrench into the G E funding home improvements without debate which was halted by the Dumpster Diver with a Charter Objection. The Charter objection was previously Made famous by former City Councilor from Cumbies..
All dressed up and No Place to Go Award goes to The Mayor. Who’s all dressed up and has no place to go!
Maybe they were just following Trumps advice not to wear masks.
Orbit- Bikepath Barry. Always look forward to his posts.
I can’t vote on the PHOA, haven’t lived in Pittsfield for some time, but I will say any business owner left on North St should be considered.
BHWADA- Tricia Bouvier. A couple weeks after reliving her glory days from the 70’s in a public park she starts posting on social media how people are dying alone at Hillcrest and restaurants are a major contributing factor. The data is there.. look at it… the OVERWHELMING majority of spread is occurring within homes. I suspect Tricia’s next move will be advocating to ban living in your home.
Never refused a tax hike in her life Award. Buffet!
Zero Legislation while Dancing Award. Buffet
Well you can live in the parks now.
Barry’s a big blowhard. And needs to take advantage of the city’s dental plan or change dentist.
I second your nomination
Hey elves and elvettes just checking in after a quick holiday getaway to Colorado. Special thanks to our friends at Lyon aviation for the private jet.
It’s award season huh? I don’t know all the awards but I’ll give it a crack.
Orbit: that’s a tough one, maybe Me? For being so city proactive, and being the guardian of Pittsfield cumbies.
Sweet cakes Linda, she can cut a rug and has the distinct ability to ignore real problems in the face of criticism. That’s a skill so few possess. Plus she looks great in my boots and she doesn’t need to wear spanx contrary to what many say.
Wrong Way Harrington for elevating blaming everyone else for her failings. I heard she and Andy took an intimate “strategy” meeting at Methuselah after hours with Yuki.
Yuki for taking an art form of blame and turning it into a masterpiece, and making money in the process. She singlehandedly brought the city to its knees economically, blamed everyone else, played the victim of immigrant, single mom, Asian (POC), and handicapped (lazy eye).
No wonder Wrong Way looks up to her. Now I’m reading a few people died in the process, Yuki Cohen a one person weapon of mass destruction and distraction!
Special mention: Pedro Morales for being DPW point person on the Bike paths, lanes, and parklets.
PHOA goes to the gullible citizens of Pittsfield who just keep taking it while we just keep taking from them. Without your complicity and blind subservience we couldn’t do what we do.
BAWADA, is that one of the villains from that movie Black Panther?
That goes to Melissa Mazzeo, no doubt about it. She’s a meany who wears spanx or at least control top psntyhose.
Someone ought tell Croll during the Seating at the Beacon the idea is not to text but to Watch The Movie?
First Republic of the United States, RIP. Perhaps deserves a posthumous award of some sort.
First Republic will be followed by a self-proclaimed emperor. Second will last a while until the president declares himself emperor again. We’ll get our asses kicked in a war–Third Republic. That’ll flounder and founder along for a while until we get schooled by that same enemy. Then Fourth, which will end when the president decides he needs more monarchical powers, and then the Fifth.
It was a nice experiment, I guess.
Come on Mitch don’t be a bitch. Just sent that to McConnell.
Trump doesn’t want it,Bitch doesn’t want it and cnn doesn’t want it. And Pelosi doesn’t want it. Big Corp definitely doesn’t want it. They’re all in it together.
Sen Markey says they would affirm it today if voted?
Call the paddy wagon someone has fallen off the deep end