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GORE VIDAL (OCT. 3, 1925-JULY 31, 2012): A WRITER WORTHY OF HIS WORDS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, AUG. 9, 2012) — We lead off today with a remembrance of the late, great Gore Vidal. Along the way to becoming a writer — and before and after all else (broadcaster, educator), that’s what we consider ourselves to be — THE PLANET […]

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PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! WE NAME THE GOP VP CANDIDATE!! SO WHAT’s THE SHAME IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS STRICTLY FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, OF COURSE … Mr. MITT’S VP CHOICE … GABBY’s HAIR …

By  DANVALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 TUESDAY 8/7/12 — May we cut to the chase here. Let THE PLANET be the first to report that Mitt Romney‘s choice for vice president will be … drumroll, maestro … … MARCO RUBIO. Rubio, the junior senator from Florida, will help Romney in that key […]

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AFTER NEARLY 70 YEARS, UNDEVELOPED BROWNIE FILM YIELDS BREATHTAKING ‘NEW’ IMAGES FROM WWII … DISSECTING ‘BERKSHIRE BUSINESS SNOOZE’ PUBLISHED BY THE BERKSHIRE CHAMBER OF RAH RAH … STRONG DOLLAR KILL COMPANIES’ PROFIT MARGINS … plus … DEFAULTED MORTGAGES: WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS GET STUCK PAYING FOR THE STUPID DECISION OF IRRESPONSIBLE HOMEOWNERS?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 6, 2012 — Welcome to the new week. THE PLANET is back from scurrying to far parts of the country, and now we are back, all fagged, fashed, jet-lagged, and fulfilled. In the meantime, though … … Here’s a photo tribute to […]

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TEEN’S HEROIC ACT OF RESCUE MET WITH A BILL FOR $2,600, or, HOW STUPID HAS AMERICA BECOME? … DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD INC., An EXERCISE IN WASTING TAXPAYERS’ DOUGH — MR. BIANCHI AND CITY COUNCILORS, IT’S TIME TO PULL THE PLUG … plus … QUICK HITS AND HOT LICKS TAKES ON AFGHANISTAN, and TEACHERS UNIONS GO TO BAT FOR SEXUAL PREDATORS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 6, 2012) — How stupid has America become? We share this wire story: Seventeen-year-old John Clark of Vancouver, Wash., knew what to do when he saw a boy struggling to stay afloat in the surf off the Oregon coast. The trained pool […]

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MALE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING, or THE LONDON OLYMPICS ARE ALL WET … STATE FINES REP. PIGNATELLI FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATION … OUR MAN AT THE MEETING GIVES A REPORT ON AIRPORT GATHERING (IT A’INT PRETTY) … plus QUICK HITS AND HOT LICKS DISCUSSES SIAMESE BILLBOARDS, DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD INC., AND OTHER SUNDRY ITEMS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, AUG. 2, 2012) — A couple days ago, Charley Garivaltis sent a comment to THE PLANET with which we agreed in total. The redoubtable CG, one of the best athletes ever to come out of Berkshire County and THE PLANET‘s vote for Best […]

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BIANCHI’S CAROUSEL OFFER WELL INTENDED BUT DOESN’T ADD UP … “PLOP PLOP, FIZZ FIZZ” — SOME NAUSEATING NUMBERS OF PITTSFIELD’S DUBIOUS BUDGET TRANSFERS … ANOTHER BUMP IN THE ROAD, or, WHERE HAVE YOU GONE NAT F. AND MARY Z? … REID MIDDLE SCHOOL PUSHES OUT SCHOLARS BUT U.S. IS GETTING DUMBER (NOW HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??)

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1, 2012) — Welcome to August, a fond adieu to July. “Will it go round in circles? Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky?” — Billy Preston. Yesterday, the Boring Broadsheet ran a well-done piece by Dick Lindsay about […]

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PLANET ON STURGEON SHOW … LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TAKE OVER THE PLANET AS ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ HAVE THEIR SAY … TOPICS INCLUDE MURALS RAPE, AIRPORT RUNWAY DEAL, GUN VIOLENCE, PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS, FAKE IDs, and TRAINS … plus … MUSIC REVIEW: GREG GINN, CINEMA CINEMA, & THE UNCOMFORTABLES ROCK CHAMELEON’S

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012) — The mailbag has been full to overflowing, and let’s begin today by letting We The People have their say on issues that are of concern to them. THE PLANET is honored to provide this space for letters, opinions, and […]

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SALARY, TERMS FOR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PPS CONTINUES TO DRAW COMMENT … KINNAS JUSTIFIES CHOICE … 1954 & THE GE-PITTSFIELD HALLOWEEN PARADE: DID THOSE DAYS REALLY HAPPEN? … CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS AND OBAMACARE: WHERE’S THE BEEF? … plus VIVA! CUBA! CASTRO SPEECH OPENS THE DOOR FOR SANITY ON US POLICY

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2012) — We start off the weekend an item that ran yesterday on THE PLANET. We included it as the last piece of several, and the amount of interest in this subject prompts its reposting today, to keep this alive for […]

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MORE TRIBUTES TO KITTY LICHTENSTEIN … PLANET PUBLISHES THE FAMILY OBIT … O’CONNELL PAYS FINAL TRIBUTE & THE STOOLEY CONDEMNS CITY’s NEGLECT of 28 RENNE AVE. … WHY DID STATE REP. TFB VOTE AGAINST MELISSA’S LAW: A READER WANTS TO KNOW … STATE STICKS TAXPAYERS TO BAIL OUT MBTA … STATE SUDITOR BUMP GRANTS HEFTY PAY RAISES TO 100 STAFF MEMBERS … plus … JONATHAN LEVINE REVEALS THE RUINOUS ‘N. TRACEY PRUFROCK’ CONTRACT WITH CITY SCHOOLS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012) — Former Pittsfield Arts Commissioner Dan O’Connell has sent the family obituary for Kitty Lichtenstein, the partron of the arts in Pittsfield who did more for the cause than any 10 you might care to offer. O’Connell writes: In the […]

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BIDDEFORD, MAINE (“TELL ‘EM ANGELO SENT YOU”) MAKES THE NEWS AGAIN … IS THE AMERICAN DREAM OVER? … PEDA AND A BRIDGE TOO FAR II … EBT CARD SCAM CONTINUES ON; GIMME GROUP RECEIVES “FREE CASH” WHILE TAXPAYERS FUME

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2012) — You remember Biddeford, Maine? That was the little town that rocketed Greylock Federal Credit Union President Angelo Stracuzzi to fame then shame. Angelo’s trip there right about this time of month a handful of years ago caught up with […]

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OT and Disability Claims Drive Police Department into Debt … Fire and Personnel departments also in the red … Taxpayers have to cough up the difference to take care of the nearly $800Gs in over-spending … ‘Free Cash Follies’ continue in Pittsfield, ripping off taxpayers … plus … Former Arts Commissioner O’Connell Remembers Kitty Lichtenstein

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012) — The fiscal good news: the city of Pittsfield’s health insurance program ran at a surplus last year. The city pays for employee health insurance through the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC), which takes advantage of pool coverage. Now the […]

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VETERN AVIATOR CALLS PITTSFIELD AIRPORT WORK ‘A VIRTUAL DEATH TRAP’ … PITTSFIELD IGNORED ALTERNATIVE FAA REMEMDIES, SEIZING 15 PROPERTIES BY EMINENT DOMAIN AND DESTROYING WETLANDS … THE STOOLEY TELLS HIS GFCU STORY … plus … ‘THE LOVESONG OF N. TRACY CROWE’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE,  MONDAY, JULY 23, 2012) — Responding to directives of the International Civil Aviation Organization‘s Runway Safety Area (RSA) regulations, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended that commercial airports have 1,000 feel of level ground adjoining the end of all runways. The FAA, however, realized […]

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!EXCLUSIVE! PLANET PUBLISHES MEMO FROM PURCHASING AGENT TO ALF BARBALUNGA: ‘CITY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT IN ADULT CENTER LEASE, BUT JUDGE FORCES PLAN B AT HIBBARD’ … WHY NOT HIBBARD AS THE PERMANENT PLACE FOR ADULT LEARNING CENTER? … plus … KUFFLINKS KERWOOD TOADIES TO KEEP FIRST LADY FROM BOUNCING

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012) — THE PLANET has obtained a copy of the following e-mail, from Alfred “Alf” Barbalunga, school committee chair, to members of his committee, council-committee liason Kevin Sherman, and Dupere, the committee’s $3,000-a-month law firm. The e-mail is actually the “forward” of […]

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iPADGATE — QUESTIONS ABOUND IN SCHOOLS’ PURCHASE OF 333 iPADS, INCLUDING: WAS THE PURCHASE LEGAL? EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE ANSWER: ‘NO’ … HER IMPERIOUSNESS, ASST. SUPER MALKAS, BRUSHES ASIDE SCHOOL COMMITTEE’S CONCERNS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, July 19, 2012) — Serious questions have been raised concerning the iPad initiative for Advanced Placement students in Pittsfield Public Schools, a program that will cost taxpayers $166,500 (333 iPads at $500 each). That’s a lot of money (the cost of one superintendent […]

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MAYOR’s BUDGET GOOD BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH … TAXPAYERS TO FOOT BILL FOR ALLEGRONE LEVY BREAKS … AIRPORT MANAGER SNUBS ANGRY RESIDENT … plus ‘DID YOU KNOW THAT …’ FEATURES SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WILL HAVE YOU STEAMING

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012) — Those who argue that the 2.5 percent take hike under Mayor Dan Bianchi‘s FY13 budget is reasonable can make a reasonable case. The hike is about half of what the good citizens of Pittsfield have become used to, and […]

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PLANET CAPTION WRITING CONTEST (WAIT TIL YOU SEE THE PICTURE!) … HARRIS, PIGNATELLI, & PHILLIPS TANGLING IN A DOOZY FOR REGISTER OF DEEDS … RATE BIANCHI’S BUDGET … GUSHING STUDY ON ARTS $$ IMPACT FULL OF HOT AIR … plus… GUITAR MUSEUM LOOKING FOR NEW HOME (WOULD PITTSFIELD BE A GOOD FIT?) …

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012) — Some pictures are priceless because of their circumstances, such as Joe Rosenthal‘s immortal photo of the Marines raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, in 1945. Other pictures lack the historic dimension, but we cherish them for who […]

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