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CONNELL, MORANDI BLAST MAYOR OVER ‘LIES,’ NEGLECT AT ANIMAL SHELTER … CALL CONDITIONS ‘DEPLORABLE’

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 24-6, 2018) — Two city councilors have blasted Mayor Linda Tyer for the city’s mismanagement of the dog shelter. Their criticisms come after communications sent to this address regarding concern for the unfortunate dogs who find themselves in the facility. […]

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POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME FOR PITTSFIELD

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 22, 2018) — Let’s start with the name. It would be a “Police Oversight Committee,” not a “Police Advisory Board.” You don’t need THE PLANET to tell you there’s a gulf’s difference between “oversight” and “advice.” A PAB would have gums. A POC, if […]

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DOES PITTSFIELD NEED A POLICE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, OR IS THAT AN ‘IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?’

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 20, 2018) — Apropos to nothing but in some tangential way related to everything, THE PLANET 51 years ago today sat in Fenway Park, rf-line boxes and watched in disbelief as The Impossible Dream Red Sox swept the contending Angels in a doubleheader […]

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D.A. DANCE CRAZE, ‘THE PROGRESSIVE,’ WILL LEAVE VOTERS WITH FLAT FEET … plus … ‘THE PLANET’s’ CAMPAIGN TRANSLATION GUIDE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 17-19, 2018) — “Progressive.” Etymologically speaking, it’s the substitute for “liberal,” a term that the left has abandoned after being found guilty of flipping its original meaning (“personal freedom restrained only by personal responsibility”) to something out of a political […]

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PLANET PUTS ‘PICNICGATE’ and TFB MEDDLING TO REST … plus … BERKSHIRE MAUSOLEUM’s DEATH SPIRAL

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 15, 2018) — We can finally put “Picnicgate” to rest. D.A. candidate Andrea Harrington did not, repeat DID NOT, “crash” the sheriff’s picnic. THE PLANET obtained word from Congressman Richie Neal’s office that Harrington attended the event on invitation from Neal. She had […]

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THIS D.A.’s RACE IS DIFFERENT: IT’S ACTUALLY SHOWING ON THE RADAR SCREEN

  BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, AUG. 11, 2018) — It’s been clear since the race began that the contest for the Democratic nomination for Berkshire County District Attorney would not be about issues. For those just tuning in, this election will be decided in September, since there […]

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D.A. DATA … plus … AUTHORS OF AN ART HEIST: THE PLANET NAMES NAMES AT THE BERKSHIRE MAUSOLEUM

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 10-12, 2018) — Before THE PLANET gets into part two of our museum series, let’s confirm two things, each pertaining to the D.A.’s election. First, Andrea Harrington did attend the sheriff’s picnic. Harrington, however, told THE […]

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BERKSHIRE NAUSEUM AUDIT: THE NUMBERS ALL ABOVE BORED … 1ST of a TWO-PART SERIES

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 8, 2018) — In Adelson and Company’s recent audit of the Berkshire Mausoleum, you find near the end, buried under a lot of previous numbers and verbiage, the following sentence: “In 2015, the Berkshire Museum Board of […]

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LEGAL AND MORAL CORRUPTION HAVE NO DISTINCTIONS IN THE RANCID CITY OF PITTSFIELD

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 5, 2018) — If you ever had any doubts about the rampant corruption that has become the once-great city of Pittsfield (pop. 38,000 and dropping), the inherent pressures of recent events have forced the slime to the surface and into the sun. […]

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SEED WISDOM FROM THE FARM

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 3-5, 2018) — Welcome to early August, a month where nature begins to prepare for fall and winter. As the month passes, you will see the plants and trees seemingly lose energy. Actually, in their wisdom and efficiency, they are […]

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PLANET TO MAYORS OF THE PITTS AND N.A.: THE ANSWER DOES NOT LIE IN AIRPORTS OR GRANTS … or … HOW ‘THE BB’ ONCE AGAIN LANDS FACEDOWN IN THE PORCELAIN GOD

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 1, 2018) — An example of our previous column on the shortcomings of the local daily newspaper could be found over the past weekend, when The Boring Broadsheet had on page one, above the fold, a puff piece with a headline blaring that […]

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CRASH AND BURN AT ‘THE BORING BROADSHEET’ NEEDN’T BE THAT WAY

BY DN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 30, 2018) — And as the glorious summer takes the clubhouse turn, THE PLANET has to laugh at the “story” in The Boring Broadsheet polling readers about the Berkshire Mall. While it ignores significant news and presents such nonsensical fluff, The BB actually presents […]

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WHAT ‘SHAMES’ HUMAN WORK … ON THE WEEKEND EDITION, THE TALKING STICK IS YOURS

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, JULY 27-29, 2018) — Late July on the farm delivers the fruits of labor, both literally and figuratively. For the first, we list the raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, honey, tomatoes, lemon balm, feeding plantains to the goats … ah, THE PLANET could go […]

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THE PROVERBIAL “THEY” AREN’T FIGURATIVE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 25, 2018) — Once of anything is a fluke. Two is a pattern. Three a trend. When the proverbial “They,” in this case the board of that erstwhile great institution formerly known at the Berkshire Museum, brought in a new executive director, […]

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SOURCES ADD CLAIMS, CLARITY TO THE MUCK GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE DA’s RACE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 23, 2018) — Andrea Harrington, who with Judith Knight is challenging heir-apparent Paul Caccaviello for Berkshire County District Attorney, has to decide, not soon but now, because time is running out: Does she want to be the next DA? If that answer […]

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TALES FROM THE DA’s OFFICE … plus … THE HANGING BOOTS: THE DRUG LORDS ISSUE A WARNING

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 20-22, 2018) — When you operate a site such as this one, after a while the news comes to you. Each happening, civic joy or shame, crime, or subterfuge possesses a cast of characters. No matter how hidden, someone always […]

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