A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, FROM THE PLANET … plus … OUR CONTINUING EXPOSE OF ‘THE GAME’ BEING PLAYED IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (CLUE: ‘It’s not about ‘The children’ … It’s about ‘the money’).

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A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, FROM THE PLANET … plus … OUR CONTINUING EXPOSE OF ‘THE GAME’ BEING PLAYED IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC EDUCATION (CLUE: ‘It’s not about ‘The children’ … It’s about ‘the money’).

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, NOV. 23, 2011) — First item of business is to wish everyone reading this website a happy, healthy Thanksgiving Day. On the air this morning at “Good Morning, Pittsfield” with my Rt. Hon. Good Friend John Krol (unanimous winner in […]

November 23, 2011 65 Comments

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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT’s $82 MILLION CHUNK OF PITTSFIELD’s BUDGET YIELDS PRECIOUS LITTLE IN RETURN … PLANET PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHICANERY … plus … WILL IT GO ‘ROUND and ‘ROUND? MANY HOPE SO FOR THE BERKSHIRE CAROUSEL PROJECT

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, NOV. 22, 2011) — How top heavy is the current school department in the city of Pittsfield? Consider this: Today, there are a little more than 6,000 (6,016) students in Pittsfield public schools. A generation ago, there were more than 12,000. Nonetheless, despite […]

November 22, 2011 39 Comments

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!!BULLETIN RECOUNT CONFIRMS LOTHROP WIN IN WARD 5!! … PLANET FORCED BORING BROADSHEET’s HAND ON ARMITAGE … COPS AS THUGS NOT ACCEPTABLE … WARD 5 RECOUNT TODAY … plus … THE TRUE COST OF RUNNING PITTSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1 NOV. 21, 2011 Lothrop Win Holds Up in Recount This just in from city clerk Linda Tyer: Jonathan Lothrop‘s six-vote win over Joe Breault in the Ward 5 race has stood, as THE PLANET predicted, and J-Lo is now officially re-elected. In the recount, Lothrop […]

November 21, 2011 44 Comments

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CUSTOMER IS KING AT CARR’S … MORE ON MONDAY’S WARD 5 RECOUNT … plus … JOSH CUTLER COMMENTS ON THE ELECTION TALLY: A LOOK BACK, A LOOK AHEAD

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 2011) — With BJ’s Wholesale Club being the lastest Big Box to further erode the market base for the dwindling number of Mom and Pops in the area, let us salute one store that exemplifies the battle. Carr Hardware has been […]

November 18, 2011 47 Comments

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COUNTERPOINT: THE CASE FOR J-LO AS COUNCIL PREZ … PLANET PREDICTS NO CHANGE AFTER WARD 5 RECOUNT … & THE EV WORLDWIDE CON KING SENTENCED IN FEDERAL COURT

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 17, 2011) — Nothing is ever as it seems in politics, especially the inbred nature of Pittsfield politics. “Inbred” in this case refers to the narrow confines of the city when it comes to connections, links, and this-one-knowing-that-one … to say nothing […]

November 17, 2011 26 Comments

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MORE ON ‘THE INCIDENT AT MAZZEO’s’ … plus … PLANET RECOMMENDS SHERMAN AS NEXT COUNCIL PRESIDENT … and … COUNCIL SHOULD ADOPT A NEW RULE BOOK

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 16, 2011) — For whatever reason, my Right Honorable Good Friends councilors John Krol and Jonathan Lothrop have drawn the ire and the fire of many Dan Bianchi, Melissa Mazzeo, and “Alternate” supporters. It’s an interesting phenomenon to observe, and it appears […]

November 16, 2011 56 Comments

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STOREFRONT AFFRONTERY or WHY THE BORING BROADSHEET HAS LOST ALL CREDIBILITY … plus … TOWN OF LEE TAXPAYERS HOSED, SAYS THE STOOLEY … PLANET LAUDS MARCHETTI DECISION … and PLANET HAS SCOOP ON ‘THE INCIDENT’ AT MAZZEO’s

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 11/15/11 Sherman Adds to Our Understanding of ‘The Incident at Mazzeo’s’ If you scroll below to the last item, you will see the disclosure of an incident that happened on Election Night at the victory celebrations for Dan Bianchi and Melissa Mazzeo. John Krol, Barry […]

November 15, 2011 65 Comments

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PLANET !!EXCLUSIVE!! … STATE’S SHOCKING LETTER REVEALS DOUBLE-DEALING OF PITTSFIELD’S SCHOOL BUILDING NEEDS COMMISSION … YOU WON’T READ ABOUT THIS IN THE BB!

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 14, 2011) — John Krol, Sally Douglas, Paul Raverta, Carmen Massimiano, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Lou Costi, Peter Marchetti, Floriana Fitzgerald, Patrick Mele Jr., Cheryl Bethel, John barber, Ernie Fortini, Kathleen Amuso, Jake Eberwein, Lisa Buchinski, JoAnne Soules, Keith Babuszczak, Frank LaRagione, Guy Pannesco, […]

November 14, 2011 59 Comments

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!!UPDATE ON PLANET !EXCLUSIVE!, COMING MONDAY … RECOUNT ISSUES BRINGS TO MIND KEY QUESTION: SHOULD VOTER PREFERENCE COUNT THOUGH THE MACHINE SAYS NO … and … MEET BARRY CLAIRMONT, AT-LARGE ELECT AND INCOMMUNICADO WITH WE THE PEOPLE

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 2011) — We take this break from a most enjoyable weekend to let you know THE PLANET has been hard at work. On Monday, we shall share contents of a letter the city of Pittsfield received from the state. […]

November 11, 2011 107 Comments

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MARCHETTI SHOULD NOT SEEK RECOUNT BUT BREAULT SHOULD … DID THE POUNDS KEEP PETER FROM THE CORNER OFFICE? … KINNAS WIN ON SCHOOL BOARD THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FOR TAXPAYERS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 10, 2011) — With everyone trying to gleam cosmic significance over tomorrow’s date of 11/11/11, THE PLANET finds soul in everything we see, touch, hear. In short, the transcendent is where you find it. Even in elections, you find people caught in […]

November 10, 2011 54 Comments

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!UPDATE! PLANET WAS FIRST WITH ELECTION … BIANCHI WINS MAYORAL TILT … CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR MARCHETTI … AT LARGE, IT’S SHERMAN, MAZZEO, COTTON & CLAIRMONT … IN WARDs: MORANDI, CAPPY, CONNELL, LOTHROP (MAYBE) … KINNAS TOPS SCHOOL COMMITTEE, KING OUT, EVERYONE ELSE IN

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD 1 FORTRESS, WEDNESDAY NOONEY, Nov. 9. 2011 This morning THE PLANET has been busier than a fly swatter in an outdoor farmer’s market in Honduras, and most of it, believe it or not, non-political stuff. Nonetheless, we wanted to at least drop in on you today […]

November 8, 2011 60 Comments

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THE PLANET PRESENTS SOME FINAL, ELECTION DAY THOUGHTS. HAPPY VOTING OR NOT!

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY, NOV. 8, 2011) — As we get to put to bed another municipal election campaign, we present these final items for contemplation and “ommmmmm”-ing while you do your laundry. BIANCHI WINS! PLANET CALLS IT FIRST — No chance of “Dewey Beats Truman” […]

November 8, 2011 49 Comments

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!PLANET EXCLUSIVE! WE PRINT THE AT-LARGE SLATE CARD THE GOBs SAID DIDN’T EXIST … ODD DOINGS IN BB’s MAYORAL STORY … TWO SETS OF RULES … plus … THE PLANET’S ENDORSEMENTS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 7, 2011) — The day of reckoning, Election Day, looms over Pittsfield like a Leviathan cut down to size by the fractions of a Lilliputian campaign. Before THE PLANET gives our endorsements, we share this news we broke yesterday on Facebook. We […]

November 7, 2011 92 Comments

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MARCHETTI’S IDIOTIC STATEMENT ON CRIME PROVES HE’S NOT READY FOR CORNER OFFICE … plus … PLANET RE-RUNS YESTERDAY’s COLUMN, WHICH SET A NEW RECORD FOR HITS … THE CAMPAIGN IS SIZZLING HOT, AND WE ARE THE ONLY ONES DISHING OUT THE TRUTH

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, NOV. 5, 2011) — Yesterday was a “houndstooth” kind of a day on THE PLANET. We had a record volume, and not by a little. Ironically, though, for more than a few, they could not read more than the headline of Friday’s post. […]

November 5, 2011 84 Comments

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CAMPAIGN FIREWORKS AND A DEFINING MOMENT: ‘I SERVED WITH YOUR HUSBAND’ … plus … MIKE WARD ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ENDORSEMENT AND A RECOMMENDATION — HOT STUFF AS ELECTION DAY NEARS

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary BIANCHI TO MARCHETTI: ‘YOU’RE NO JACK KENNEDY’ … SORT OF (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 2011) — It may go down in Pittsfield political lore along with the infamous botched at-large ballot in Jody Phillips’ first election as city clerk, Gerry Doyle throwing the city into […]

November 4, 2011 18 Comments

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KROL CALLS THE PLANET … MAZZEO PLEDGES TO GET RID OF HILL 78 AND RE-OPEN CONSENT AGREEMENT … WHY ARE MIKE WARD AND JOHN KROL RELUCTANT TO GIVE ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ THE BENEFIT OF THEIR WISDOM? … plus … FALLOUT FROM TWO MORE MAYORAL DEBATES … & … THE BB WHIFFS AGAIN!

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary ADD #1 KROL DEFENDS HIS POSITION THE PLANET heard from Ward 6 Councilor John Krol this afternoon about our posting below, from earlier today. We had a comprehensive exchange of views, and it culminated with us thanking him for calling us directly, explaining the reasoning of his […]

November 3, 2011 54 Comments

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