Archive | Uncategorized RSS feed for this section
Article

‘THE ROOFTOP’ STILL LEAVES MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED BY HINDS CAMPAIGN

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 24, 2016) — As THE PLANET exclusively revealed last week, Hinds on the Roof, a.k.a. The Rooftop Concert, took place last Friday night (8/19) on top of the Greystone Building as illegally promoted on the city’s home page. In the name of transparency, THE […]

Read More
Article

SENATE RACE: ANDREA HARRINGTON’s PIECE SENDS UP RED FLAGS FOR CITIZEN-TAXPAYERS

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 22, 2016) — THE PLANET has never met Andrea Harrington. Prior to this year’s state senate race, in which she is seeking the Democratic nomination (Adam Hinds, Rinaldo Del Gallo) to the state senate to face Republican Chris Canning in the fall, we […]

Read More
Article

‘HINDS ON THE ROOF’ FUNDRAISER FALLS — SPLAT! — TO THE PAVEMENT…0r…THE BASTARDS WILL TRY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU CATCH THEM AT IT

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 19-21, 2016) — If a candidate held a fundraiser in the lobby of city hall, there would be an uproar. Of course, no one, not even the Democrats’ state senate Chosen One Adam Hinds, would attempt it. Even if he did, […]

Read More
Article

COUNCIL GIVES ANIMALS THEIR DUE, AND IT WAS THE RIGHT VOTE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY AUG. 18, 2016) — All life is amazingly complex, capable of more awareness and intelligence than people can know. For example, this week, THE PLANET saw three simple yet defining instances. First, in this Floridian summer, have you noticed an unusual number of ants […]

Read More
Article

WHY DID TFB SPONSOR A BILL TO PUNISH PITTSFIELD? THE BOSSES ORDERED IT … SENDING STOOGES TO BOSTON INSTEAD OF REPS EXACTS A HEAVY COST ON WE THE PEOPLE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 17, 2016) — Tricia Farley-Bouvier, from whereof dost thou cometh? This is the question of most everyone outside the Kool-Aid drinkers of the local Democrat Party. They know the answer. THE PLANET, alone among local media, knows as well. Everyone else wonders why TFB […]

Read More
Article

ANATOMY OF A POLEMICAL BESTING: SWEET PETE V. THE PLANET

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY AUG. 16, 2016) — As promised, THE PLANET presents verse and chapter of the debate we picked with our Right Honorable Good Friend Sweet Pete White on the nature and meaning of “democracy.” Sweet Pete led with his chin […]

Read More
Article

CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, BUT THE TOTALITARIAN DEMOCRATS DIDN’T CONDUCT A DEBATE … IT WAS A PEP-RALLY FOR THEIR TWO ‘CHOSEN ONES’

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MODAY AUG. 15, 2016) — Last week, the Berkshire Brigades (The BBs), which bills itself as “the countywide Democratic Party Organization” (don’t you love them capitals?) held a pep rally smeared in the gauche lipstick of a “debate.” The disguise […]

Read More
Article

DOWNTOWN PARKING IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE BRAIN SURGERY OR ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT IN PITTSFIELD, IT IS AND HAS BEEN SO FOR DECADES

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 12-14, 2016) — Going back to our days in talk radio, three topics always light up the lines: trash collection, cable TV service, and parking. Our column yesterday on Pittsfield’s latest attempt to address parking drew an unusually large number […]

Read More
Article

FREE VS. FEES: DOWNTOWN PITTSFIELD INC., CITY IN CAHOOTS TO PUNISH CITIZENS, VISITORS FOR ‘PRIILEGE’ OF PARKING IN CENTER CITY

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY AUG. 11, 2016) — THE PLANET and Beacon Cinema owner Richard Stanley agree: It’s an incredibly dumb idea to charge for parking in downtown Pittsfield. Stanely has strongly opposed to the idea, although official Pittsfield seems hell bent for leather to implement a consultant’s […]

Read More
Article

DIGGING UP THE DIRT AT THS BUILDING SITE … WHAT NASTY STUFF IS UNDER THOSE HUGE, TARP-COVERED ‘HILL 78s’ BEHIND SCHOOL, THE ONES THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE?

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 10, 2016) — What was and still is buried in the dirt at the building site of the new Taconic High School? THE PLANET alone has not been afraid to explore, and we have been on top of this story since we first broke […]

Read More
Article

COUNCIL AGENDA GETS MIRED IN QUESTIONS OF LEGALITY WHILE WORKING TO OBSCURE THE TRUTH

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY AUG. 9, 2016) — The agenda for tonight’s meeting of the Pittsfield City Council exemplifies the preference of Official Pittsfield to keep its citizens in the dark. We can’t get into all of the crawling dishonesties, but three examples should suffice. Point 1 — […]

Read More
Article

LETTER: CONNELL ‘NOT A TYPICAL POLITICIAN’ … plus … ASSANGE SPEAKS FOR ALL JOURNALISTS ON USE OF UNNAMED SOURCES

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 8, 2016) — Today THE PLANET dishes up two items of interest, the first local and the second local, regional, national, and international — one that journalists deal consistently. 1. LETTER SUPPORTS CONNELL: ‘NOT A TYPICAL POLITICIAN’ I am writing this letter […]

Read More
Article

MAYOR DEFENDS CHOICE OF DONOVAN & O’CONNOR … SUPPORTERS CLAIM RIVAL FIRM ATTEMPTED AND FAILED IN ‘A WEAK PALACE COUP’

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Last of Three Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 5-7, 2016) — In making the selection of Donovan & O’Connor (D&O) city purchasing agent told Darren Lee of the competing firm Courtney, Lee, & Hamel (CL&H) the main reason was D&O’s greater experience with municipal law. Lee […]

Read More
Article

CITY’s CONTROVERSIAL CHOICE OF LEGAL SERVICES THE GRINDING OF A POLITICAL AX, LEE SUPPORTERS CHARGE

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY AUG. 4, 2016) — With the simmering controversy in the appointment of legal services not making one column inch of taking up one second of time in the Mainstream Media, it has again fallen on THE PLANET to expose […]

Read More
Article

!EXCLUSIVE! PLANET SERIES: LATEST COURT DRAMA NOT A TV SHOW BUT A LEGAL CONTROVERSY FOR PITTSFIELD

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 3, 2016) — Legal dramas have long been standard fare on prime-time TV, from Perry Mason and The Defenders in the late 50s and early 60s to the contemporary Law and Order. You won’t find Raymond Burr again besting William Tallman in the […]

Read More
Article

LETTER: BLOOMBERG HAS ‘REAL PLANS TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY’

BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY AUG. 2, 2016) — The state rep’s race in in Pittsfield pits two Democrats —incumbent Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Michael Bloomberg — and and one independent, Chris Connell. The incumbent and Bloomberg square off in September for the right to battle Connell in November. In […]

Read More