BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY NOV. 18, 2019) — There’s a vortex swirling in and around Pittsfield, especially city hall. Its gravitational spirals attract the most dubious kinds of “economic development.” THE PLANET is talking fly-by-nighters (damagatis patricatis muracas), the incompetent (beaconat et cinematicum), and projects that couldn’t […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, NOV. 14, 2019, mid-afternoon: THE PLANET has learned that after virtually non-stop consultations with multiple lawyers and the legal department of the Secretary of State’s office in Boston, Melissa Mazzeo and her Team have been advised that if she eventually wishes to file charges of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY 1st of a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY NOV. 13, 2019) — Try getting on an airplane without identification. Try obtaining a driver’s license without a set of I.D. documents fit for 007’s attache case. Cashing a check? Better have your ID handy. Buying a six-pack […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS COMMENTARY ADD 1 — Tomorrow, THE PLANET will post the first in a two-part series dealing with the mayoral race results. As you know, mayor Linda Tyer won re-election by 529 votes. Nearly 12,000 votes were cast. A 265-vote swing would have reversed the outcome, triggering a certain recount. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, NOV. 8, 2019) — Prepare yourself for this one. Be forewarned. Read it with the dispassion of intellect, not the spur of overreaction. THE PLANET calls your attention to a bizarre happening at a public school in Utah. It provides an important […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY NOV. 7, 2019) — Today THE PLANET shares some random observations that entered our domain as fleeting thoughts. Here goes: Rip It — Some 41 people have died in ocean rip currents this year. Elizabeth Warren says if she become President, she will […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY NOV. 6, 2019) — The day after the election, we all become smarter. That includes THE PLANET. We endorsed Melissa Mazzeo, but Linda Tyer prevailed. An endorsement is not a prediction, a distinction with an enormous difference most people do not make or […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY, 2019) — As you go to the polls today, THE PLANET wants to share a story about crime in Pittsfield. As an issue, it rivals the budget. It’s an issue that mayor Linda Tyer avoided during the campaign. By almost all measures, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY NOV. 4, 2019) — Tomorrow, voters go to the polls to elected a school committee (same old same old), a council (some changes), and a mayor (sea change). The key race is for mayor, the city’s chief executive. The mayor determines the pulse […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION NOV. 1-3, 2019) — Let’s get this out of the way first. The needless and “snowflake” cancellation of Halloween by mayor Linda Tyer has led to a parental reaction that has been “vibrant and dynamic.” They howled to us, among themselves, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY [ED. NOTE: To inaugurate our updated site, THE PLANET will be publishing daily through the rest of the week. Today is one of the bonus columns. Make sure you tune into F this week then M-T (Election Day). It’s our way of again thanking our readers for […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2019) — There’s a brain-drain in the Pittsfield Public Schools, and if things “stand pat,” there will be no reasonable expectation the situation will magically correct itself, not with a selfish superintendent and a MIA school committee. Supt. Jason “JIV” McCandless tried to […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 28, 2019) — A brief housekeeping note starts us today. The launch of the new site went well overall. Transferring data from and to different servers always involves a few kinks. Mostly they have been addressed. We thank everyone for their patience […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 25-7, 2019) — We have exciting news to share about THE PLANET. Our new and improved site will debut Monday. Ten years ago, we started this website as a writing exercise to warm up for our day’s assignments. They were never […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 23, 2019) — With news that superintendent of schools Jason “JIV” McCandless is looking to leave town in a hurry, and in response to multiple requests by readers to repost and update a series of columns we did when JIV and the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 21, 2019) — Sources connected to the District Attorney’s office tell THE PLANET that extensive testing of physical evidence taken from the scene of the alleged racial attack at Bard’s College (Simon’s Rock) show no indication the incident ever occurred. A D.A. […]
