INCOMING COUNCIL, SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAVE A DUTY TO BE ‘DISHARMONIOUS,’ FOR THAT IS WHERE THE BLADE OF DEMOCRACY GETS SHARPENED … plus … SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER-ELECT FARRON PREVAILED IN LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY, HAS OTHER LEGAL ACTION PENDING BEFORE MCAD

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INCOMING COUNCIL, SCHOOL COMMITTEE HAVE A DUTY TO BE ‘DISHARMONIOUS,’ FOR THAT IS WHERE THE BLADE OF DEMOCRACY GETS SHARPENED … plus … SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER-ELECT FARRON PREVAILED IN LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY, HAS OTHER LEGAL ACTION PENDING BEFORE MCAD

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 8, 2013) — The point of democracy is not harmony in communion but hammering out consensus. THE PLANET finds the recent calls for “harmony” in council-mayor relations to be at best poorly phrased and at worse a call for a clampdown on […]

November 8, 2013 43 Comments

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BB OUTDOES ITSELF WITH PAGE ONE, POST-ELECTION PROPAGANDA … NEWSPAPER A WILLING STOOGE TO THE GAGGING OF DIHARMONIOUS VOICES … PLANET OFFERS VIGOROUS REJECTION OF THAT APPROACH

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2013) — On this “once upon a midday dreary” morning, we shake our heads and feel for our colleague Jim Therrien of the Boring Broadsheet. JT, you see, works for a newspaper that will fire you if you stray too far […]

November 7, 2013 46 Comments

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VALENTI WINS WRITE-IN LANDSLIDE!!!!, but seriously — POST-ELECTION THOUGHTS FOR A WEDNESDAY OF LEAVING AND CLASS … STOCKBRIDGE HONORS FALLEN HEROES … plus … REMEMBERING AN ARTIST

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, 2013) — THE PLANET offers you some quick post-election thoughts. We invite you to share your comments of the events of Election Day here. * BIANCHI ‘WINS’ FOR LOSING — We thank the couple hundred so who wrote our name in […]

November 6, 2013 44 Comments

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AT LONG LAST, ON ELECTION EVE: THE PLANET’S FEARLESS ENDORSEMENTS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 4, 2013) — Tomorrow is Election Day, the day when the vast majority of citizens do not vote. Not voting has become the 21st-century equivalent of doing one’s civic duty. In fact, not voting has become such a part of democracy that […]

November 3, 2013 100 Comments

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PLANET GIVES POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS ON MONDAY, BUT FIRST, A LITTLE BOONGA … UPDATE ON HOMELESS AND WINTER SITUATION … plus … FIRED TRANSCRIPT REPORTER LATCHES ON WITH ANOTHER BB PROPERTY

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 1, 2013) — On Monday THE PLANET, presents our political endorsements for the municipal election in Pittsfield. First, though, we share a couple items that have made news recently. Both stories were broken, exclusively, on THE PLANET. The first deals with the plight […]

November 1, 2013 52 Comments

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BB-OWNED N.A. TRANSCRIPT THROWS REPORTER UNDER BUS WHEN SCHOOL OFFICIALS COMPLAIN TO MANAGEMENT ABOUT COVERAGE … LIKE BORING BROADSHEET, PAPER FAILS ITS READERS BY KISSING UP TO GOB

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2013) — Along with education, the greatest safeguard of democracy and civil liberty is a free and active press. In Pittsfield, the press is free. It is not active. The mainstream media, “led” by The Boring Broadsheet and followed lockstep by the non-existent […]

October 30, 2013 34 Comments

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AT-LARGE DEBATE /slash/ SNOOZEFEST: WHEN THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING TO HAPPEN IS SEEING JONATHAN LEVINE BACK ON HIS FEET … plus … WON’T SOMEONE IN OFFICE COME FORWARD AND HELP PASTOR IN KEEPING HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM FREEZING THIS WINTER, SINCE MAYOR BIANCHI WON’T?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, OCT. 29, 2013) — The most significant moment in at-large debate-cum-slumber-party last night at BCC was the sighting of Jonathan Levine, stalwart publisher of The Pittsfield Gazette, recovering from a serious medical setback. That gives you an idea of the z-z-z-z-fest offered last night […]

October 29, 2013 20 Comments

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SUPRANOWICZ LEAVING CHAMBER: THERE’S THE BB ‘STORY’ AND THE PLANET’S, WHICH DOESN’T NEED THE QUOTE MARKS … plus … $75,000 to STUDY PARKING? ANOTHER TESTIMONY TO BIANCHI ADMINSTRATION FUTILITY AND A CITY THAT’S LOST ITS WAY

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013) — As usual, our readers were on to the news before anyone had a chance to break it. THE PLANET had word of Mike Supranowicz‘s departure from the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce before anyone else did. Not only that, but, […]

October 27, 2013 28 Comments

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LEFTOVERS FROM THE WARD 6 DEBATE … plus … LETTERS TO THE EDITOR COVERS TAX SCANDAL CLAIM, THE INDISCREET CHARM OF THE BB, HOW THE CITY IS LETTING PEOPLE ‘FREEZE TO DEATH’ and WHAT’S BEHIND SUPRANOWICZ MOVE TO HILLCREST

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, OCT. 25, 2013) — Leftovers from the Ward 6 debate: * Icing It — Joe Nichols and THE PLANET happened to walk into the studios at the same time. We found it fortuitous, since it allowed us an ice-breaking walk, going in. We met Joe’s […]

October 25, 2013 25 Comments

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KROL, NICHOLS BRING A GAME TO RIVETING TV DEBATE … DISAGREEMENTS SHARP, SOLUTIONS TO CITY’s WOES DIFFER … VIEWERS, VOTERS WELL-SERVED IN THE EXCHANGE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, OCT. 24, 2013) — Coming off an extremely long day yesterday, THE PLANET dares to post some initial thoughts regarding last night’s Ward 6 debate between incumbent John Krol and challenger Joe Nichols. Yours Truly moderated from the PCTV studios live from 7 […]

October 23, 2013 27 Comments

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PLANET EXCLUSIVE: WE LEARN THE ‘SECRET’ FIGURE BEING USED FOR A NEW THS: $80 MILLION TO $100 MILLION … NO ONE KNOWS WHERE AND WHEN THIS FIGURE WAS DECIDED … SBNC FAILS TO GRILL CONSULTANT … PROJECT IS STARTING TO SMELL LIKE A WHITEWASH, WITH TAXPAYERS GETTING ABSOLUTELY CLOBBERED

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23, 2013 — THE PLANET will keep yesterday’s post up for another day, because it’s so serious as we head into another precast election. The city is playing around with an $80 million to $100 million budget. No one knows or if they […]

October 22, 2013 19 Comments

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SCRAPPY SOX SHOW SERIOUS SPUNK, OR IS THAT ‘SERIES’ SPUNK? … SCHOOL SUPT. CONTINUES PPS ASSauLT ON TAXPAYERS WITH NEEDLESS APPOINTMENT … plus … SBNC, THE OPEN MEETING LAW, AND THS: HAS A SECRET DECISION BEEN MADE? REVIEW THE EVIDENCE AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, OCT. 21, 2013) — Now that the Boston Red Sox have extended the MLB season to its ultimate limit — The World Series — all other sports do not exist. The Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics, all within their seasons, will have to wait. […]

October 20, 2013 12 Comments

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UPDATE: SOX SOAR, MAYOR BORES … FOUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES CLOSE DOORS; MAYOR BIANCHI SILENT, ALTHOUGH HIS ‘CAMPAIGN’ MATERIAL TOUTS GREAT PROGRESS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 FOS, FRIDAY, OCT. 18, 2013, LATE — THE PLANET caught the red-eye back east, and we are delighted at the discussion ignited here by our observations. That’s the purpose of this site: to share news and information, offer commentary, and invite your responses. It’s a testimony […]

October 16, 2013 74 Comments

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HOW “NOT” TO BE A BOSTON FAN … GREAT DAY OF TWIN MIRACLE ENDINGS NOT FOR THE EARLYOUT BIRDS … plus … TEASER HINTS AT (HERE WE GO AGAIN!) MORE ALLEGED LAW BREAKING FROM OFFICIALS IN PITTSFIELD

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, OCT. 15, 2013) — Boston sports Sunday deserved the superlatives deliriously thrown its way by fans, media, and nation. First up at Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady and his depleted but stalwart B-men pulled off one of the most miraculous 4th quarter comebacks in […]

October 14, 2013 18 Comments

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PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! SHOCKING DATA FROM PPS SHOW THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PUPILS ARE ‘LOW INCOME’ … DIRE NUMBERS, RAMPANT POVERTY REFUTE BIANCHI’S CAMPAI(G)N LIES ABOUT ECONOMIC ‘PROGRESS’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, Oct. 14, 2013) — The recent announcement of the closing of four businesses in downtown Pittsfield surprised no one, except maybe Mayor Dan Bianchi and his motley collection of lackeys and apologists, who are telling us in what passes for “Campaign” 2013 of […]

October 13, 2013 21 Comments

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AFTER BACK AND FORTHS, NICHOLS AGREES TO PLANET’S TERMS ON WARD 6 DEBATE WITH KROL … EVENT WILL RUN LIVE (LATER ON TAPE) OCT. 23, 7 p.m. ON PCTV … plus … THE SATISFYING SEQUEL TO THE ADVENTURES OF FRANK ‘FREE HOUSE’ COTE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, OCT. 11, 2013) — Debating debates is not for debate. There is, in fact, no debating the following facts: a.) The West Side Steering Committee has in the past hosted debates, and it considered doing so for the Ward 6 contest between John […]

October 10, 2013 30 Comments

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