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NICHOLS JOINS KINNAS ON DRUG TESTING POSITION, plus, PITTSFIELD FIRE FIGHTER SPEAKS OUT … PLANET TO POLL CANDIDATES … and C’S MORAN TOSSES CG ROAD WIN

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 16, 2011) — A second candidate for office in Pittsfield, this for the office of mayor, has declared his position on drug testing for firemen and other public emplyees. Mayoral candidate Joe Nichols, back from his recent honeymoon, told THE PLANET that […]

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300 RESPONSES TO PFD’s RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT UNCONDITIONAL RANDOM DRUG TESTING SHOW TAXPAYING PUBLIC WANTS THOSE TESTS; FIREMEN out of touch WITH PUBLIC SENTIMENTS; plus … FLORES FANS 14, TIES CAN-AM LEAGUE RECORD AS RED-HOT COLONIALS GET 12th WIN IN 13 GAMES

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, AUG. 13, 2011) — The firestorm over THE PLANET’s exclusive coverage of the inside details of the contract squabble between the city of Pittsfield and the Pittsfield Fire Department has elicted an avalanche of comment. There have been nearly 100 comments on THE PLANET. […]

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!!EXCLUSIVE!! ACTING FIRE CHIEF, UNION HEAD RESPOND TO THE PLANET ON CITY-FIRE CONTRACT SQUABBLE; PLUS: COLONIALS SWEEP FEDS AGAIN; WINK TOSSES CG SHUTOUT IN OPENER

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, AUG. 12, 2011) — Yesterday, Tim Bartini and Robert Czerwinski sent THE PLANET a letter. Bartini and Czerwinski are, respectively, president of Local 2647 Pittsfield Firefighters and acting fire chief of the PFD. The letter addressed THE PLANET’s recent postings on the contract […]

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FIRE OVER CITY-PFD CONTRACT OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL BURNS OUT OF CONTROL; PLANET SUPPORTS RANDOM DRUG TESTING FOR ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. Q: WHICH CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE SUPPORTS THIS?

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, AUG. 11, 2011) — The controversy over the city’s withdrawal of its 4% pay hike offer to Pittsfield fire fighters in exchange for the union’s agreement to random drug testing continues to burn out of control. No back-up units will be called in […]

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FIRESTORM OVER FIRE DEPARTMENT DISCLOSURE; UNION CONFIRMS IT REJECTED CITY’S OFFER OF A 4 PERCENT PAY HIKE, AT ISSUE: RANDOM DRUG TESTING

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 10, 2011) — First up this morning is a bit of business resembling more a hive upset following yesterday’s post that (we can only assume from the reaction) The Little Guy wasn’t supposed to know. THE PLANET refers to this little item, […]

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WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY? BUY, BUY, BUY… PLUS … FIREMEN REJECT 4% PERCENT HIKE, MURDERED-CHILD-OF-THE-MONTH LAW, AND PITTSFIELD BEAUTY QUEEN

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 9, 2011) — Domino effect, anyone? See what a little panic will do. Lenders, who were all too eager to loan money as long as they could do so essentially without risk, once again are acting as they did three years ago. […]

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MR. SMITH GOES 5-FOR-6, SNAPPING C’s WIN STREAK AT SIX AS JACKALS TAKE SUNDAY TILT, 8-4

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, MONDAY Aug. 8, 2011, Game of Sunday, AUG. 7, 2011) — A dirty uniform couldn’t phase New Jersey centerfielder Seth Smith’s performance on Sunday afternoon. Smith’s 5-6 offensive attack against Pittsfield pitching propelled the New Jersey Jackals to an 8-4 victory over the Colonials before 545 fans at Historic […]

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BOMBACK’s LATE-INNING HEROICS (AGAIN!) DRIVE COLONIALS WINNING STREAK TO SIX; TEAM MOVES CLOSER TO FIRST-PLACE WORCESTER

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, SUNDAY, AUG. 7, 2011, GAME OF AUG. 6) — Danny Bomback is  getting used coming through in high-pressure situations. With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth, Bomback’s liner to center with two outs plated his second game winning hit in as many nights, as the […]

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COLONIALS RALLY EARLY, LATE FOR DRAMATIC 10-8 WIN OVER JACKALS; BOMBACK BLAST KEY BLOW AS C’s SOLIDIFY PLAYOFF CHANCES

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, SATURDAY, AUG. 6, 2011, GAME OF AUG. 5) — Banged up and beat up, the Pittsfield Colonials badly needed one of their wounded bandits to come up clutch Friday night. A battered and bruised Danny Bomback answered the bell for the Colonials, blasting a two-run homer in the […]

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BLUE FRIDAY? NOT FOR THIS AMERICAN, plus … JOBLESS JABS, PAKISTANI BLUES, AND BACHMANN TURNED OFF OVERDRIVE ON THIS ANYTHING-BUT-BLUE PLANET FRIDAY!

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Am I Blue? No Way! (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, AUG. 5, 2011) — Today, a well-meaning friend passed along the following e-mail: Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of   America supports our troops. Our idea of […]

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SOURCE ALLEGES BCAC WORKER FUDGED FUEL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION TO DENY BENEFITS; BCAC’S ATWATER DID NOT ‘UNCOVER ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOOK FURTHER’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, AUG. 4, 2011) — THE PLANET recently received information from a source pertaining to possible wrongdoing in the issuance of federal fuel assistance as administered by Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC). We have made checks on the information, and while not uncovering definitive proof […]

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THE PLANET RAISES A SLEW OF QUESTIONS: IN PITTSFIELD, ASKING ONE QUESTION IS TOO MANY BUT ASKING ‘TOO MANY’ IS NOT ENOUGH … ONLY THE PLANET DARES TO ASK

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 3, 2011) — In Pittsfield, it’s considered bad form to ask to many questions. The rulers who secretly call the shots in their tavern-like kabal call questions “uppity.” The proper behavior for The Little Guy is to keep his mouth shut, pay […]

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MARCHETTI RESPONDS TO PLANET: HIS ANSWER MAKES SENSE … plus, MAYORAL POSITIONING and DIVA DOINGS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Two Messages from Peter Marchetti (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, AUG. 2, 2011) — In the past two posts, THE PLANET called upon Peter Marchetti to explain his vote to deny the electorate the chance to vote on an information question pertaining to the building of a new […]

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ORBITING THE PLANET: JILTED ON “GMP” BUT BIRDS LOVE IT, DIVA DIVING, DEBT, WATER TORTURE, MARCHETTI MUM, COP-acabana, DOWNTOWN INKADINK, SBNC

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 1, 2011) —  Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day, except on THE PLANET. DON’T SHOOT ME. I’M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER — Those tuning into “Good Morning, Pittsfield” either on the radio or TV this morning expecting THE PLANET’s guest appearance got […]

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PITTSFIELD COUNCIL VOTES TO SHUT OUT ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ ON IMPORTANT SCHOOL QUESTION; MAZZEO, NICHOLS SUPPORT PUBLIC INPUT … TFB, KROL, and MARCHETTI SAY ‘STIFF THE VOTERS’

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY JULY 30, 2011) — Pittsfield voters, surrender now. It’s over. You have no chance. You have been maimed, stamped, filed, marginalized, indexed, ignored, and crushed. The GOBs want it that way, and by your low participation in the political process, they got it […]

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PITTSFIELD’s FREAK FLAG FLYING LOW IN BEACON HILL’s GREAT HALL, or ‘PALOOKAVILLE GETS THE RAG” … plus, TIPS — LIKELY TRUE — FROM THE PLANET’s SECRET SQUADRON

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011) — We present, verbatim, the first item from the desk of Sen. Ben Downing. THE PLANET likes the way Downing sends these briefings on a regular basis. Sure, they’re self-serving. Sure, you don’t find out the nitty gritty. However, as […]

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