Planet Valenti

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JAN. 4, 2013) — As those know who have followed our work in print and on the air over the years, THE PLANET has a deep, abiding interest in public education. For example, our strident coverage of the Pittsfield Public Schools has focused […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JAN. 3, 2012) — Today, we give THE PLANET over to a magnificently written guest column. The topic concerns one of great interest to ourselves and many. The author is Nabil Shaath, chief negotiator for the Palestine Authority in its talks with Israel […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2, 2013) — It’s never a good thing for a community when a local journalist gets fired. Nonetheless, Vox Radio had no problem reducing its already skeletal human staff in giving 16-year newsroom veteran Tom Conklin his walking papers. The move became […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2012) — Let’s close out 2012 with Quick Hits and Hot Licks, to help reduce the number of stories that are flying in a holding pattern over THE PLANET, seeking permission to land. Before that, though, THE PLANET wishes all of you a […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, DEC. 29, 2012) — You hate the government meddling into your business. We hate the government meddling in our business. But the politicians at the State House in Boston (85% Democrats, by the way) love it, as they did when they sent to […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JAN. 3, 2012) — Budgets are meant to be fluid documents. Yeah, said the wise guy, to be pissed all over. A budget represents one’s best guess about the relationship between projected income and projected expenses. With boatloads of historical data, the economic […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1, THURSDAY, DEC. 28, 2012 — THE PLANET wishes to highlight a comment made by OUTFOX, one of our regular correspondents, because it highlights a great point about the status of school security in the People’s Republic of Pittsfield. Outfox pointed our the greatest lapse in […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, DEC. 24, 2012 & BEYOND — ’twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … nothing. We shan’t burden you with tales of scandal and corruption. We won’t fill this space with senile  fluff. We won’t shamelessly […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT, FRIDAY, DEC. 21) — Today, being the last day in human history according to the ancient Mayan calendar, should be a day of rejoicing. All those bills you owe? Forget about them? The college loans? Screw […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 2012) — Don’t look now, but tomorrow is the End Of Time As We Know It. No, Alf Barbalunga hasn’t won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. No, North Street downtown has not become safe and inviting. And No, Dan Bianchi hasn’t […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19, 2012) — Reason to celebrate: Today, PROF. PLANET finishes another semester. It’s always a cause for celebration, to be freed from the rigors of academia by the blessed end of the semester. We love every second of it. We taught our […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 2012) — Only four more days until the Mayan calendar runs out, so why bother with Christmas shopping? We cannot, though, put off sharing this take of what’s going on at Taconic High School from a mom who calls herself The […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 DEC. 14, EVENING — When we posted this blog early this morning, the tragic events in Newtown, Conn., had yet to occur. The first 911 call came in at 9:41 a.m. During the course of the day, THE PLANET was purposefully not near a television […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, DEC. 13, 2012) —In the Old Testament, we read the story of wise King Solomon, who had to decide the fate of a baby. Two women were both claiming to be the mother. After hearing testimony, Solomon realized he couldn’t be sure. He […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 12, 2012) — Yesterday, one of our correspondents, DOWNTOWN DWELLER, did us all a huge favor in posting the agenda of the school committee meeting, slated to begin tonight at 6 p.m. in the PHS library. Here is the link: http://www.pittsfield.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/file/Dec%2012%20Agenda.pdf Playing a […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 2012) — Tailgate, or, if you prefer Taligate-gate continues to occupy much conversation around the water coolers and subterranean corridors of the bedraggled city of Pittsfield, and rightly so. The Pittsfield Public School system makes much of its zero-tolerance policy on […]