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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 — […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
