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SIMONELLI SHARES FACTS ON SCHOOL BUSES: IT’s MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO PRIVATIZE … TULLY EXPLAINS HER VOTE ON BEHALF OF TAXPAYERS … CACCAMO SAYS HE HASN’T DISENFRANCHISED ANYONE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary [ED NOTE: What’s up at Berkshire Works? Has the “new” executive director, William Monterosso, been placed on paid leave after multiple accusations of sexual harassment were reported to Pittsfield Mayor Dan Bianchi and city personnel director John DeAngelo? That’s what reliable sources are alleging. You will recall […]

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CACCAMO MUST GO … SCHOOL BUS VOTE: RIGHT OUTCOME FOR WRONG REASON … BUS BORROWING MAKES NO ECONOMIC SENSE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentaries (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, APRIL 11-13, 2014) — First, let us share a bit of “You Can Take It To The Bank” news, the kind that only THE PLANET seems to be able to learn. A well-placed source tells us that a new director of The […]

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CACCAMO’s TRIP TO THE ‘LADIES ROOM’ DOOMS BUS BORROWING … AS PLANET PREDICTED, COUNCILOR’S ‘DOUBLE DIPPING’ MAKES WARD 3 CONSTITUENTS ‘SECOND CLASS CITIZENS’ … PITTSFIELD SCHOOL COMMITTEE, CHAIRWOMAN YON, FAILS FIRST TEST … ONLY ELIAS, CUTLER PASS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ED. NOTE: Before we begin our regularly scheduled column, THE PLANET needs to weigh in on yet more odd doings by our Right Honorable Good Friends on the city council, who Tuesday night looked overwhelmed and overmatched in the confusion that followed the 7-3-1 vote on borrowing […]

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FREE MOVIE, ‘THE HAUNTING,’ and YOU’RE INVITED … PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION: PLANET SHARES IMAGES SENT IN TO THE FORTRESS … or … EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

 By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2014) — First, for all you movie buffs, tonight at 5:30 p.m., K-111, on the campus of Berkshire Community College, Prof. Valenti shall be screening The Haunting. The 1963 classic, directed by Robert Wise, is being shown as part of ENG 102, […]

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FAILURE OF MAINSTREAM PRESS LEAVES THE UNDERBELLY OF NARH CLOSING UNTOLD … THE PLANET UNCOVERS MORE DOTS TO THE STORY OF HOSPITAL CLOSING … A PICTURE BEGiNS TO EMERGE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014) — Yesterday’s exclusive, wherein THE PLANET exposed the nature of troubled times ahead for The Boring Broadsheet, hinted at the newspaper’s only solution to remain viable. Get real and begin practicing journalism. It’s only hope is to wake up and […]

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IS ‘THE BORING BROADSHEET’ ABOUT TO CLOSE? NEWSROOM ABUZZ AFTER CORPORATE PARENT, DIGITAL FIRST, ANNOUNCES DEATH SENTENCE FOR ITS NEWSPAPER HOLDINGS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2014) — THE PLANET‘s sources within The Boring Broadsheet tell us that executives recently gathered to discuss the future of the newspaper in light of “an all-hands meeting” Wednesday afternoon in New York City at the headquarters of Digital First Media, The […]

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AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Part 3: FAILED POLICY RESULTS IN PERSISTENT RACIAL INEQUALITY

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary SATURDAY NOTICE: CHECK OUT THE PLANET ON MONDAY. WE HAVE A STORY ON WHAT’S GOING ON AT “THE BORING BROADSHEET?” THERE ARE OMINOUS SIGNS. IS THE END NEAR? IS THE BB READY TO FOLD ITS NEWSPAPER? ONLY THE PLANET HAS THIS STORY. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, APRIL […]

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AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Part 2: EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DOES NOT MEAN GUARANTEEING ‘EQUAL’ OUTCOMES

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014) — “Equal opportunity for all” stands as the unreachable goal in America. The goal bespeaks of the high ideals set forth by the Founding Fathers. Yes, as an aside, we may in hindsight criticize the Founders for allowing slavery to […]

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FIRST OF THREE PARTS: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION — A MASSIVE LIBERAL FAILURE … THE WRONG POLICY AT THE WRONG TIME IN PITTSFIELD … Part 1

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary First of Three Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014) — Will Singleton says Pittsfield needs a new affirmative action policy. Will Singleton, well intended as he may be, is wrong. The city doesn’t need affirmative action. The simple reason is that affirmative action doesn’t work. […]

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TOUGH LOVE: PLANET SHOWS IT FOR CITY, MAYOR, AND ‘THE BB’ … plus … ONCE AGAIN, PLANET, NOT ‘THE BB’ DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING IN NARH FOLLOW-UP; FINANCIALS DEEPEN THE FISHY MYSTERY?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014) — Here on THE PLANET, it’s another day but not and never  April Fool’s Day, a day whose insistence on pranks we’ve find cretinous. In Pittsfield, of course, it’s a day any aware and brain-alive person finds redundant. One of […]

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MARY McGINNES OUSTER CARRIES SORDID BACKSTORY, ACTUALLY, THE FAMILIAR PITTSFIELD TALE TITLED, ‘THE FIX IS IN’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary BULLETIN! THE PLANET received word last night that “a second grader from Williams in Pittsfield died this morning.” Our source “had it on good authority” but “didn’t have any details.” We hope this spurs other media to investigate further.  ——- 000 ——- (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MARCH […]

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NARH EXCLUSIVE: THE PLANET LAYS OUT A PLAUSIBLE — EVEN PROBABLE —FUTURE SCENARIO … BOTTOM LINE, CLOSED-DOOR POW-WOWS SUGGEST DOORS COULD RE-OPEN SOON BUT UNDER A RADICALLY DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEEKEND EDITION, MARCH 28-30, 2014) — With news popping like a Redenbacher kernal and saluted more than a redneck colonel, THE PLANET is tempted to fire buckshot in lots of directions. Scattered fire, however, will not suffice, and so we shall try to aim […]

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!!UPDATED!! NARH CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT ODD IN THE EXTREME … TOO MANY QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED FOR A REELING COMMUNITY … WHO WILL PROVIDE ANSWERS TO ‘WE THE PEOPLE?’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ED. NOTE: THE PLANET presents this update to our coverage of the closing of North Adams Regional Hospital, which we added yesterday, pre-empting our existing story about our friend, the former nun. We’ve place today’s update as a preface to yesterday’s piece, which you may have missed […]

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SISTER JUDY BLUE EYES … or … THE STRAIGHT-JACKETING OF SPIRIT

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014) — THE PLANET shall dispense of any arguments for or against a Creator, much less issue an opinion on the nature of the Holy Bible. The Book of Genesis has the most difficult job of all the books in The […]

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BIANCHI TO ASK FOR NEARLY $3 MILLION TO BUY NEW BUS FLEET FOR SCHOOLS … ARE TAXPAYERS BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014) — THE PLANET will be the first to inform you of item #6 on tonight’s city council agenda: “A communication from Mayor Bianchi submitting an Order authorizing the City Treasurer with the approval of the mayor to borrow an aggregate […]

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PLANET SQUEEZES SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS — BIANCHI, YON, ELIAS, RIELLO, FARRON, TAYLOR, & CUTLER — ABOUT COTE CONTRACT AND PHS BULLYING … plus … LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: BULLYING AND STATE LAW … QUESTIONS ABOUT BFAIR’S CLAIM FOR STONEHENGE SELECTION

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014) — As you likely know, THE PLANET has recently taken up two important items — not covered by any other local media, incidentally — dealing with the Pittsfield School Department. They are important for many reasons, not the least of which […]

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